​Different levels of planning may be required to make sure that your child gets the right support. 

These include personal learning planning, individualised educational programmes and co-ordinated support plans.

Personal Learning Planning

Personal learning planning (PLP) is for all children and young people, regardless of whether or not they have any additional support needs. Different schools will have their own approaches and formats.

Personal learning planning involves you, your child and their teacher in discussing:

• what your child is going to be learning
• what evidence of achievements and progress will look like
• planning for the next steps.

This can help to identify any additional support needs that your child may have.

Read the Scottish Government's practical advice for parents on personal learning planning (available in a range of languages).

Staged intervention

This is a structured process used to identify the level of support required to meet the learning needs of an individual child or young person.

Staged intervention models may vary from one local authority to another but generally there are three, four or five stages. A child’s progress is regularly reviewed and they may move between stages.

Individualised Educational Programmes

An individualised educational programme (IEP) is a written document that outlines the steps to be taken to help a child or young person with additional support needs to achieve specified learning outcomes.

Find out more about individualised educational programmes (PDF file).

Co-ordinated Support Plans

This statutory plan is used to identify, and ensure provision of, services for children and young people with complex or multiple additional support needs. Your child may be eligible for a co-ordinated support plan if:

• Their needs have a significant negative effect on their school education and are likely to last at least a year, and
• They need support from a local authority and at least one other non-education service or agency.

The Scottish Government has provided guidance on co-ordinated support plans.

Getting it right for every child

Schools will also be aware of, and will use, the Getting it right for every child (GIRFEC) approach to make sure that all the people who support your child work together to give you and your child the right help at the right time.

More information on planning to meet additional support needs

This Enquire factsheet provides a good introduction to the following plans, including how they fit together:

• personal learning planning
• individualised educational programmes
• co-ordinated support plans.

Enquire publications