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How to Write a Support Plan: Classroom, School or School Support+
(Updated for the 2024 SET Guidelines)
Introduction
The Student Support File (SSF) is the required record for planning and documenting additional support for children with special educational needs, as outlined in the 2024 SEN Guidelines for Primary Schools.
It is important to distinguish between the Student Support File and the Student Support Plan:
- The Student Support File is the overall folder or process. It contains the child’s background information, professional reports, logs of actions, checklists, consultation records, assessments, and reviews. It provides a full record of the child’s pathway through the Continuum of Support.
- The Student Support Plan is the planning document within the file. It outlines the child’s strengths, interests, needs, and agreed priority learning needs, along with SMART targets, strategies, interventions, and review outcomes.
In short, the file is the container, while the plan is the content that drives day-to- day teaching and learning support. Schools may use the Student Support Plan template for this plan.
The same Student Support File is used for children at all three levels of the Continuum of Support:
- Classroom Support – All
- School Support – Some
- School Support Plus – Few
Support planning should be guided by eight underpinning principles: inclusive education, inclusive school culture, collaboration, wellbeing, engagement and participation, child-centred and needs-based practice, evidence-informed practice, and governance and accountability.
Roles and Responsibilities
- Class Teacher: Primary responsibility for all children in the class. Adapts teaching, initiates Classroom Support Plans, and opens a Student Support File for pupils where emerging needs are identified.
- Special Education Teacher (SET): Leads Student Support Plans at School Support – Some and School Support Plus levels, ensures provision is high-quality, liaises with class teacher, parents, child, and external professionals.
- Principal: Oversees deployment of resources, ensures inclusive policies are implemented, maintains the School Provision Plan and Schedule of Deployment of Special Education Teachers.
Continuum of Support
- Classroom Support – All
- The initial response by the class teacher if concerns arise is to open a Student Support File. It should contain a simple plan outlining adaptations, strategies, or classroom supports.
- Collaborative input from parents and, where appropriate, the child.
- May include short-term actions such as adjusted pace, visual supports, or targeted strategies.
- School Support – Some
- For children with more persistent or enduring needs who have not responded to Classroom Support.
- Led by the SET in collaboration with the class teacher, parents, and child.
- Targeted interventions, often in small groups or through team teaching.
- Recorded in the Student Support File.
- School Support Plus – Few
- For children with complex and enduring needs.
- Highly individualised, intensive interventions.
- Collaborative planning with SET, class teacher, parents, child, and often external professionals.
- Recorded in the Student Support File.
The Problem-Solving Process
The guidelines emphasise a cyclical, four-step problem-solving process at each level of the Continuum:
- Identify – gather information from teacher observations, assessments, parents, child, and professional reports.
- Assess – clarify concerns, use relevant checklists (e.g. Basic Needs, Learning Environment, My Thoughts About School).
- Plan – identify priority learning needs, set SMART targets, decide on interventions.
- Review – collaboratively evaluate progress, update targets, and adjust support level if necessary.
Student Support File and Plan
The Student Support File is the overall record that tracks a child’s pathway through the Continuum of Support. It should include:
- Log of actions and interventions
- Assessment and observation data
- Consultation records (child, parents, teachers, professionals)
- Attendance and participation information
- Copies of professional reports where relevant
Within this file, the Student Support Plan documents:
- Strengths, interests, and needs
- Agreed priority learning needs
- SMART targets (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time-bound)
- Strategies and interventions
- Roles and responsibilities
- Review dates and outcomes
You can download blank templates for the above documents here.
Steps in Writing a Support Plan
Step 1: Getting to Know the Child
- Review professional reports, past support plans, Mo Scéal.
- Consult with parents and the child.
- Complete pupil voice tools (e.g. My Thoughts About School).
Step 2: Assessments and Observations
- Gather baseline data through teacher-designed or diagnostic assessments.
- Observe across settings (classroom, yard, transitions).
- Use NEPS checklists (Basic Needs, Learning Environment, Behaviour/Social Skills).
Step 3: Identifying Priority Needs
- Choose the most important 3–4 areas to target.
- Consider safety, basic needs, communication, and functional skills before academic targets.
- Always record the child’s strengths alongside needs.
Step 4: Setting Targets
- Write SMART targets linked to priority learning needs. A SMART target is:
- Specific: Focused and clear.
- Measurable: Progress can be tracked objectively.
- Achievable: Realistic for the child given current abilities and supports.
- Relevant/Realistic: Directly linked to the child’s learning priorities.
- Time-bound: Includes a timeframe for achievement.
Examples of SMART targets:
- Literacy: “By the end of this term, Sarah will read 10 CVC (consonant-vowel-consonant) words independently during small group sessions, as measured by teacher assessment.”
- Wellbeing: “Within six weeks, Adam will use a taught calming strategy (deep breaths or sensory break) in 4 out of 5 observed instances when he feels upset, as recorded on an observation checklist.”
SMART vs. non-SMART example:
- Non-SMART: “Joe will improve his reading.”
- SMART: “By the end of February, Joe will correctly decode CVC and CCVC words with 90% accuracy in three consecutive probe assessments using a phonics-based word list.”
Step 5: Creating and Sharing the Plan
- Document the plan in the Student Support File.
- Share with class teacher and parents (and save digitally if using Aladdin or equivalent).
- Emphasise that the plan is a working document that should be updated as needs and targets change.
Wellbeing and Child Voice
- Wellbeing must be central to all planning.
- Children’s voices should be sought and recorded when setting and reviewing targets.
- Every child should experience belonging, connectedness, and participation in school life.
Key Takeaways
- Use the Student Support File for all children receiving support at Classroom, School Support, and School Support Plus levels.
- Plans must be child-centred, collaborative, and evidence-informed.
- Focus on priority needs and set realistic SMART targets.
- Ensure regular review and adjustment of supports.
Quick Checklist for Writing a Support Plan
- Review background information, reports, and pupil/parent input.
- Complete relevant NEPS checklists (Basic Needs, Learning Environment, Behaviour/Social Skills).
- Identify and prioritise 3–4 key learning and/ or wellbeing needs.
- Write SMART targets for each priority area.
- Plan evidence-informed strategies and interventions.
- Record all information in the Student Support File.
- Share plan with class teacher and parents; involve the child where appropriate.
- Review progress regularly and update targets as needed.
What do you do with the support plans come September? Do you review or write up a new support plan for the child each year?
Hi Sandra, thanks for your interest in my blog. I hope you found it helpful. The log of actions part should be kept as one document for the duration of the child’s time in the school. As for the rest, it would depend what your school’s policy is. In my school we use Aladdin, and just update the Basic Needs/ Learning Environment/ My Thought About School Checklist each year, but create a new document for the support plan with new targets (if the previous ones have been achieved/ are no longer relevant). This is so we have a record of the previous targets and the review and so we can see the child’s progression over the years. Kind regards, Claire
This is so brilliant. It is so easily explained so thank you so much!!
Hi Claire,
That was such a helpful article you wrote thank you!
Can I ask you when going in to support children in class for maths, say if I have two target students in Maths that receive support. If their main maths targets in their support file have to be specific e.g. will know time to the hour and half half, what do I write in my weekly plan when the topic they are learning is totally different? E.g When I go in class they are learning a wide variety of maths topics obviously and the topic for the week is addition with regrouping in class. Do I include this in my weekly plan? Or should I be focusing solely on time until they reach that target? Should they stay in class for maths to learn all topics and I support them to reach the easiest of the outcomes and then withdraw them at a different stage in the day to learn time (which is their support file target) or learn addition with regrouping? or both?
Thanks so much!
Hi Maria,
Thanks for your comment. I’m delighted you found this helpful.
I have also been in this situation (having a number of children from a class on school support with specific targets on my caseload, but also being timetabled for team teaching with the same class). In this situation, you would have separate weekly plans for the child (or group of children) on school support, and for the team teaching/ in class support. The weekly plan for the child or group would be in a format like this, and the planning for in class support/ team teaching is best done collaboratively with the class teacher and could look something like this. Ideally you would be working in class for support with the whole class, and you would also withdraw the children a couple of times per week (or as needed) to work on their individual targets.
Under the current system for SET provision in Ireland, the class teacher has ultimate responsibility for every child in their class’ learning in all areas, so children shouldn’t be withdrawn for all of their learning in a particular subject e.g. the class can’t be divided for maths with the SET giving one group all of their teaching in maths for the year.
Also if you are withdrawing and the children’s area of need is maths, it is best practice not to withdraw them when the class teacher is teaching maths as you don’t want them missing out and falling further behind. Ideally you would withdraw them at another time of day (and for different subjects so they aren’t missing out on the same subject every time).
Timetabling in SET can be very tricky and it usually requires a number of drafts and trails to get it right. It also requires flexibility from the class teacher who might need to change some things around to ensure that the children being withdrawn aren’t missing the same subjects every day.
Best of luck with it!
Kind regards,
Claire
Hi Claire,
If a child is receiving SET support from 3 different teachers (Social & emotional, Literacy, Maths) could there be three separate school support plan documents with targets/strategies/resources for each subject area? Or would the three teachers type into the one document? We use Aladdin for support files. Thanks
Hi Nicola, There would only be one student support file, with one school support (or school support plus plan) in it. Each teacher would contribute to the plan and include the target for the area they are working on with the child. Doing the plan through Aladdin is ideal for this as each teacher can add their section without having to email around the file or try to pass it around in some other way.
I hope this helps.
Kind regards,
Claire
Thanks for this Claire
Hi, I have just started as EAL Support teacher. I have 15 children from a range of classes. It is a combination of supporting children in class and withdrawal. Nothing is in place and I am starting from scratch. I am wondering what planning and documentation needs to be done by EAL support teachers?
Hi Paula,
Thanks for your message. I actually have a separate blog post on EAL where I outline all of the planning requirements here. You’ll also see in the comments section for that post, I have explained how some form of withdrawal is usually needed in order to work on specific language targets. You can certainly do some in class support, but it would have to really target the children with EAL (rather than just giving support to the whole class) and it might not be sufficient on its own for working on specific language learning targets with the children.
Best of luck in your new role!
Claire
Hi,
For Junior Infant children that require additional support with phonics (withdrawal support in addition to whole class differentiated teaching), is each child required to have a separate SSP with parental input/consent? Thanks
Hi Sarah,
Every child that is on the Continuum of Support requires a plan at the appropriate level (classroom support, school support, or school support plus). If a child is receiving support from the SET, they will be on School Support or School Support Plus level depending on their level of need, and will need a corresponding plan. The plan and targets will need to be discussed with the child’s parents and support consent should always be sought.
That said, children in Junior Infants would normally only require withdrawal support in exceptional circumstances and withdrawal for phonics wouldn’t merit SET intervention at Junior Infant level. In almost all circumstances, support at junior infant level is most appropriately given as in-class support, as all children need to be given a chance to settle in and to experience whole class teaching and differentiation before needs can even be identified. Normally junior infants would need to work on phonological awareness until at least Christmas, and might not begin phonics until January, or even after Easter. Content such as phonics needs to be first taught at whole class level and classroom differentiation should also be in place. If both of these have taken place, and a child is still having difficulty, then the first step is the classroom teacher should put a classroom support plan in place. This would need to be in place for at least 6-8 weeks before SET support is even considered. Given the above timeframe, it wouldn’t make sense that a child would need additional support for phonics in Junior Infants, especially not before the final term, as sufficient time for differentiated whole class teaching and classroom support would not have taken place.
Kind regards,
Claire
Hi teaching junior infants in a gaeltacht school – tumoideachas. I have a lot of Eals with no english or irish. Do these children need classroom support plan or is it given they are entitled to school support
Hi Kate, every newcomer child with EAL is entitled to 2 years of EAL support and if they are Junior Infants, they will not have received this support in another school, so they should get it for the entirety of Junior and Senior Infants. This would normally be at School Support level (unless they have a lot of other complex needs, then they would be on School Support Plus). They don’t need a classroom support plan for not being able to speak Irish as many English speaking children wouldn’t speak any Irish either when starting in a Gaelscoil. The SET/ EAL teacher is responsible for planning for their EAL support. I find the best format for this is an EAL IEP which contains the targets from Up and Away (the EAL curriculum), as the format of the NEPS support file is more geared to needs that are a result of a learning difficulty. I hope that helps!
All the best,
Claire
Hi I’m a post-primary teacher new to SEN. If a student has a SSP in first year and I want to continue this into second year, do I fill in a new Support Plan section or a Support Review Record section? I’m presuming that the student’s SSP is one document from 1st to 6th year (if necessary).
Hi Anne, I am primary trained and based, so I will try my best to answer this, but bear in mind that things might be a bit different at PP level!
The review section should be completed by the SET who worked with the child in First Year. If you are working with the child now (during First Year) and will have them again in second year, you will need to fill out the review section before the end of the current school year. At primary level, a review is usually done in conjunction with the parents and class teacher in January and June.
For the rest of the plan, I can tell you what we do in our school, but it could vary from school to school so it might be best to see if the procedure is outlined in your school’s SEN policy. We keep all of the Student Support File documents on Aladdin. Certain documents for the SSF are just updated each year, and others are kept on record and a new one is created each year. For instance the “Log of Actions” is one document that the student has for the duration of the time in the school and it is just added to as actions take place. Each September the “Basic Needs” and “Learning Environment” and “Support checklist” documents are just reviewed and updated with any new/ different information. A new “My Thoughts About School Checklist” interview is completed with the child and uploaded (the previous one is retained on Aladdin). It is also important to have a record of the child’s previous support targets and strategies used, so we leave the part of the SSP plan that contains the targets from the previous year on Aladdin and create a new one for the new school year. Aladdin has templates of all of these documents.
I hope that helps!
Kind regards,
Claire
Hi,
I am new to SET in primary school. I am just wondering how do you note what level of the support plan the child is on? Do you comment at the top of the support plan that it is a classroom support plan or a school support plan? For the classroom support plan what is the difference between the differentiation notes on the teachers fortnightly plans and the classroom support plan? Some teachers have commented that it seems like they are documenting the same thing in two different places.
Hi Emma, Thanks for your message. I hope you found my blog helpful!
Firstly, each school should keep a Continuum of Support document which is a record of what level of support each child in the school is currently receiving. In addition to this, on the NEPS Student Support File template itself, in the section on page 4 where it says “Support Plan” in the yellow box at the top, it lists the 3 levels of support. Personally, I delete the 2 levels that the child is not on, and only keep the one that they are on. You could also tick or circle the level of support in this section too.
In answer to your second question, new guidance on Preparation for Teaching and Learning for all Primary and Special Schools was released in 2021. It states that teachers should no longer include “differentiation” in their recorded preparation because:
“The guidance encourages an approach that is focused on a diverse range of learners
and promotes flexibility in approaches to teaching, learning and assessment.
Differentiation is not included as a heading in recorded preparation as inclusion of all
pupils is built intrinsically into the three elements of preparation- invisible, visible and
recorded. For instance, the pace, level of support and resources may be varied and
adapted as required throughout the learning experiences. Similarly, the children can
demonstrate their learning in ways that are best suited to their needs and abilities.
Remember that inclusion will be evident in all elements of preparation. It will be seen
through your knowledge of the children, their prior learning, the resources prepared
and used, and, through the learning environment which you have created.”
(FAQ document page 3 Q8).
If you need them, I have created recorded preparation templates that include only the sections specified in the guidance here.
Kind regards,
Claire
Hi there,
Thank you for explaining so clearly, would you have a link to where it says the support plans are the responsibility of the SET for school support and school support plus as we are having difficulty distinguishing who has the responsibility of filling in the plan. Can’t seem to find anywhere where it says it in black and white.
Hi Vivienne, gosh, I’m not sure where you would find that in writing, but I can say in all the training that I have done with the NCSE over the years, and with conversations with NEPS, our school inspectors etc., it was always understood that a SET/ support teacher’s long term planning was the student support plans for the children on their caseload!
The NCSE do say on their website that SETS are responsibel for:
-assessing and recording the child’s needs and progress
-setting specific, time-related targets for each child and agreeing these with the class teacher and principal
so completing the planning could be considered to be part of that
The class teacher has to do long terms for each subject, plus classroom support plans for children who need them, so obviously they wouldn’t have the time to do School Support and School Support Plus planning too (and it wouldn’t be fair either).
The class teacher and SET should collaborate on the SSP and SSP+ plans, by agreeing on the targets/ area to focus on, but the responsibility for doing the diagnostic assessments/ pupil interviews/ writing up the plan itself has to be the responsibility of the SET teacher as a lass teacher doesn’t have capacity to do this.
If there is an issue with this in your school, I would strongly suggest that your school has a Special Education policy that clearly sets our the roles and responsibilities of class teachers, SETs, SNAs, the SENCO, principal etc.
I hope that helps.
Kind regards,
Claire
Please tell me what are the criteria for setting up a student support plan? What are the extra criteria for changing to a student support plus plan for a student?
Hi Claire, it is outlined in the Guidelines for Primary Schools Supporting Pupils with Special Educational Needs in Mainstream Schools. As a general rule of thumb, school support is for children whose needs cannot be met by normal classroom differentiation and supports, and school support plus is for children with complex needs who have involvement with outside professionals.