What Evidence Should Schools Use for SEND Support?

Quick Summary

  • Evidence helps schools understand a child’s needs, what support has been tried, and whether that support is working.
  • Evidence can include school records, parent views, child or young person views, progress data, attendance, behaviour patterns and professional reports.
  • Evidence should be used to plan support, review impact and decide whether further help is needed.
  • Good evidence is not just paperwork. It should help explain what is happening for the child in real school life.
  • If SEND Support is not enough, evidence may help support an EHC needs assessment request.

Evidence is important in SEND Support because it helps schools understand what a child needs, what support is being provided, and whether that support is making a difference.

For parents, evidence can also make school discussions clearer. Instead of only saying that a child is struggling, evidence can help show what is happening, how often it happens, what has already been tried, and what may need to change.

This guide explains the types of evidence schools may use for SEND Support, how evidence links to the graduated approach, and what parents can ask for if support is not working.

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Why does evidence matter in SEND Support?

Evidence matters because SEND Support should be based on a child or young person’s actual needs, not assumptions.

Evidence can help schools:

  • identify whether a child may have SEND
  • understand what barriers the child is facing
  • plan suitable support
  • review whether support is working
  • decide whether outside advice is needed
  • consider whether an EHC needs assessment may be appropriate

Evidence also helps parents understand whether concerns are being recognised and whether the school is taking practical steps to support the child.

Key point

Evidence should help answer four practical questions: what are the child’s needs, what support is in place, is the support being delivered, and is it working?

What types of evidence can schools use?

Schools may use a range of evidence to understand a child’s SEND needs and plan support.

This may include:

  • teacher observations
  • work samples
  • progress data
  • attendance records
  • behaviour logs or incident records
  • anxiety, distress or regulation patterns
  • screening tools or school assessments
  • SEN Support plans or review documents
  • parent or carer views
  • child or young person views
  • external professional reports
  • records of interventions and adjustments

The most useful evidence is usually specific. It should help explain what the child finds difficult, what has been tried, and what happened next.

The graduated approach is usually described as Assess, Plan, Do, Review.

Evidence should be used at each stage:

StageHow evidence may be used
AssessTo understand the child’s needs, barriers, strengths and concerns.
PlanTo agree support that is linked to the needs identified.
DoTo record whether support is being delivered as agreed.
ReviewTo check whether support is helping and whether anything needs to change.

You can read more here: The Graduated Approach Explained.

School evidence

School evidence can include information gathered by teachers, teaching assistants, SENCOs, pastoral staff or other school staff who work with the child.

Examples include:

  • teacher observations in class
  • notes from the SENCO
  • records of support or interventions
  • review meeting notes
  • behaviour or incident logs
  • attendance records
  • reduced timetable records, where relevant
  • home-school communication records
  • examples of work showing strengths or difficulties

Parents can ask the school what evidence has been used to identify needs and what records are being kept as part of SEN Support.

Parent and carer evidence

Parents and carers often see patterns that may not be obvious in school. This can be especially important where a child masks difficulties during the school day or becomes distressed at home.

Parent evidence may include:

  • changes in mood before or after school
  • school-related anxiety or distress
  • sleep changes
  • difficulty recovering after school
  • homework difficulties
  • sensory overload after the school day
  • refusal or difficulty attending school
  • examples of communication with school

Parents should not feel that home evidence is irrelevant. It may help explain the impact of school demands on the child’s wellbeing, regulation and ability to cope.

Child or young person views

The child or young person’s views are also important.

Depending on age, communication style and needs, this evidence may include:

  • what the child says they find difficult
  • what helps them feel safe or able to learn
  • what makes school harder
  • which adults they trust
  • how they feel about support
  • whether they understand what has been agreed

Some children may not be able to explain this directly. Schools and parents may need to use observations, communication tools, drawings, rating scales or trusted adult conversations to understand the child’s views.

Progress and attainment evidence

Academic progress can be useful, but it should not be the only evidence considered.

Progress evidence may include:

  • reading, writing or maths assessments
  • teacher assessment records
  • work samples over time
  • curriculum access concerns
  • gaps between ability and performance
  • difficulty completing tasks without support

Some children may appear to be making academic progress but still have significant communication, sensory, emotional, social, attention or attendance needs. Evidence should look at the whole child, not only attainment.

Attendance, behaviour and wellbeing evidence

Attendance, behaviour and wellbeing records may help show whether a child is coping with school.

This may include evidence of:

  • persistent lateness or absence
  • emotionally based school avoidance
  • reduced timetables
  • internal isolation or sanctions
  • distress before, during or after school
  • meltdowns, shutdowns or withdrawal
  • peer difficulties or bullying concerns
  • increased anxiety or low mood

Behaviour should be considered carefully. Behaviour may be a sign that a child’s needs are not being understood or met.

Key point

Evidence of distress, avoidance or behaviour should not be dismissed as simply “poor behaviour”. It may show that the child is struggling to access school without better support.

Professional reports and outside advice

Professional reports can provide useful evidence, especially where needs are complex or not fully understood by the school.

Reports may come from:

  • educational psychologists
  • speech and language therapists
  • occupational therapists
  • paediatricians
  • CAMHS or mental health professionals
  • specialist teachers
  • sensory support services
  • autism or ADHD assessment providers

Reports may help identify needs, recommend strategies, explain barriers to learning, or show why a child may need specialist provision.

You can browse related providers here: Therapy & Specialist Support.

Evidence of support already tried

If support is not working, it is useful to understand what has already been tried.

This may include:

  • what support was agreed
  • how often it was provided
  • who delivered it
  • how long it was tried for
  • whether the child accessed the support
  • whether the support helped
  • what changed after review

This is important because vague support records can make it difficult to understand whether SEN Support has been properly used.

Evidence for an EHCP request

If an EHC needs assessment request is being considered, evidence may help explain why SEN Support is not enough.

Useful evidence may include:

  • records of needs and difficulties
  • SEN Support plans and reviews
  • evidence of support already tried
  • professional reports
  • school concerns
  • parent and child views
  • attendance, behaviour or wellbeing evidence
  • evidence that progress is limited despite support

This does not mean a child must fail repeatedly before help is considered. It means decisions should be based on clear information about needs, support and impact.

You can read more here: EHCP Process Explained Simply.

What should parents ask schools for?

Parents can ask practical questions to understand what evidence is being used.

  • What needs has the school identified?
  • What evidence has been used to identify those needs?
  • What support is currently in place?
  • Where is the support recorded?
  • Who is responsible for delivering it?
  • How often is the support happening?
  • When will the support be reviewed?
  • What evidence will be used at review?
  • What happens if support is not working?

It is reasonable for parents to ask for clarity. SEND Support should be specific enough to understand and review.

Decision point for parents

If the school cannot show what evidence it is using, what support is in place, or how support will be reviewed, it may be time to request a clearer SEN Support plan or review meeting.

What should parents keep at home?

Parents may want to keep a simple record of concerns, meetings and changes over time.

This could include:

  • emails to and from school
  • meeting notes
  • copies of support plans
  • examples of work
  • attendance or lateness concerns
  • records of distress or anxiety patterns
  • professional reports
  • questions asked and responses received

This does not need to be complicated. A simple dated record can be useful if concerns continue or if an EHCP request is later considered.

Proposed SEND reforms may make support planning and review more structured through Individual Support Plans, National Inclusion Standards and other changes.

However, evidence remains important whether families are using current SEN Support routes or future support planning systems. Parents still need clear information about needs, support, delivery and review.

Read more:

Frequently Asked Questions

What evidence should schools use for SEND Support?

Schools may use teacher observations, progress data, attendance records, behaviour or wellbeing information, parent views, child views, support plans, reviews and professional reports.

Can parent evidence be used for SEND Support?

Yes. Parent evidence can be important, especially where a child masks difficulties at school or shows distress, anxiety or exhaustion at home.

What evidence is useful for an EHCP request?

Useful evidence may include SEN Support records, review notes, professional reports, parent and child views, school concerns, attendance or behaviour records, and evidence that support has not been enough.

Do schools need a diagnosis before providing SEND Support?

Not always. SEND Support should be based on a child’s needs and the support required, not only on whether there is a formal diagnosis.

Can parents ask to see SEN Support records?

Parents can ask what needs have been identified, what support is in place, where it is recorded, when it will be reviewed and what evidence will be used to decide next steps.

What if the school says there is no evidence of SEND?

Parents can ask what evidence has been considered, share their own evidence, request SENCO involvement, and ask for a review if concerns continue.

Useful external sources

Find Support UK provides general information to help families understand support options. This guide does not provide legal advice, medical advice, diagnosis or formal SEND advice.

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