If you have ever asked a school about support for your child and been told "we need to try things first before we can apply for an EHCP," you have encountered the graduated approach. Sometimes this is used correctly and in your child's best interests. Sometimes it is used as a delay tactic to avoid the cost and commitment of an EHCP. Knowing the difference matters.
What the graduated approach actually is
The graduated approach is a cycle of identifying need, planning support, putting it in place, and reviewing whether it is working. It is built into the SEND Code of Practice and applies to all schools in England. The four stages are: Assess, Plan, Do, Review. Schools use this cycle to build up evidence about what a child needs and whether the support currently available is sufficient.
At the school support level, this is called SEN Support (previously called School Action and School Action Plus under the old framework). The school identifies that a child has SEND, puts targeted support in place, reviews it regularly with parents, and adjusts it as needed. This is all supposed to be documented and shared with you.
What you should be seeing if the graduated approach is working
If your child is on SEN Support, you should be:
- Involved in planning their support, at least termly
- Given regular written updates on their progress against agreed targets
- Able to see the records of what has been tried and whether it has helped
- Consulted before any significant changes to their support are made
The school should also be drawing on external expertise where needed, for example commissioning a speech and language assessment or involving an educational psychologist, rather than just working with what is available in-house.
When the graduated approach is not enough
There is a point at which the graduated approach, even when done well, shows that a child's needs cannot be met from within the school's existing resources and expertise. This is precisely the situation in which an EHC needs assessment should be requested. The evidence gathered through SEN Support, the reports, the reviews, the records of what has and has not worked, becomes the evidence base for that request.
The GOV.UK guidance on extra SEN help for children sets out the general framework for how support is supposed to escalate. A needs assessment can be requested at any time, by you as a parent or by the school. There is no legal requirement that a child must have been on SEN Support for a set period of time before a request can be made, though in practice, local authorities often expect to see evidence that the graduated approach has been tried.
Using the graduated approach evidence in your favour
One of the most useful things you can do is ask the school, in writing, for all records relating to your child's SEN Support. This includes plans, targets, review notes, and any external reports. This documentation does two things: it tells you what has actually been tried, and it gives you the evidence you need if you decide to request an EHC needs assessment or challenge a refusal.
If the school cannot provide this documentation, or if the reviews are irregular or superficial, that itself is evidence that SEN Support is not being properly implemented. You can raise this formally with the headteacher or governing body.
What to do next
Ask for a meeting with the SENCO and request copies of all your child's SEN Support plans and review records. Ask directly: has everything that could be tried within SEN Support been tried? If the answer is yes and your child is still struggling significantly, the next step is to consider requesting an EHC needs assessment. You can do this yourself, in writing, to the local authority. Your local SENDIASS service can help you write that request and make the strongest possible case.