# How do SENCOs run the graduated approach without drowning in paperwork?

> Streamlined systems for assess, plan, do, review, with templates, provision maps and short reviews.

URL: https://theautismkit.com/guides/senco-graduated-approach-workload
By The Autism Kit team · Updated 2026-09-27

**Short answer:** Keep the graduated approach simple: one short template for each pupil's plan, a whole-school provision map, supports that are visible in classrooms, and reviews that focus on two or three outcomes. Train teachers and teaching assistants to own day-to-day delivery, so the SENCO coordinates rather than does everything. The SEND Code of Practice describes the cycle; your systems decide the workload.

**Key takeaways**
- **One short template** per pupil.
- A **provision map** for the whole school.
- **Two or three outcomes** per review.
- **Teachers and TAs own delivery**; the SENCO **coordinates**.

## Where does the paperwork come from?

The SEND Code of Practice describes a cycle of assess, plan, do, review, with teachers responsible for pupils' progress and the SENCO supporting.[1] Paperwork grows when every step needs a new document. Fewer, shared documents make it manageable.

## What systems help most?

| Step | Streamlined approach |
| --- | --- |
| Assess | One-page profile plus a short note of observations |
| Plan | Two or three outcomes, each with named supports |
| Do | Supports visible in class: timetable, break cards, now-and-next |
| Review | 15-minute termly review with the family, updating the same document |

## How do I share the load?

**Try:**
- Teachers updating plans in a shared template
- Training TAs once on core supports
- A shared provision map, updated termly
- Reusing what works for similar needs

**Skip:**
- Separate documents for every meeting
- Plans written by the SENCO alone
- Long reviews that don't change anything

**Standardise the basics.** Agree a whole-school set of visual supports (timetables, now-and-next boards, break cards) so staff don't reinvent
  them for each pupil.

**Training.** The Autism Education Trust offers training many schools use to build whole-staff confidence.
  [2]

Free printable: [Free printable: one-page pupil profile](https://theautismkit.com/printables/pupil-profile.pdf)

## What can I change this term?

- [ ] Merge plan templates into one short document
- [ ] Set up a whole-school visual supports kit
- [ ] Book 15-minute termly reviews

## Common questions

### What's a provision map?

A whole-school overview of the support and interventions available, who receives them, and how they're reviewed.

### How often should SEN support be reviewed?

Regularly, and many schools review termly with families. Follow your school's policy and the pupil's needs.

### Who should write the plan?

Class teachers, with SENCO support and input from the pupil and family. Teachers are responsible for the pupil's progress.

## Sources

1. GOV.UK: SEND code of practice, 0 to 25 years. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/send-code-of-practice-0-to-25
2. Autism Education Trust. https://www.autismeducationtrust.org.uk/

General guidance, not a diagnosis or treatment plan. Talk with your pediatrician or a developmental specialist about your child's care.