Learning support plan process flowchart
Learning support plan process flowchart: concern, screening, assessment, a plan agreed with the family, and a review cycle that adjusts or steps down support.
What the learning support plan process is
Most schools handle learning needs through conversations and spreadsheets that nobody can see end to end. This template draws the route as one swimlane chart: a **Concern raised** about a pupil's learning, screening by the Learning Support Coordinator, an optional specialist assessment, a plan agreed with the family, and a review cycle that loops until support can be stepped down.
The two decisions that matter most are "Does the pupil need support beyond the classroom?" and "Specialist assessment needed?". The first sends a pupil to a time-limited classroom trial rather than a refusal; the second keeps expensive assessments for cases where the evidence is not enough. The review step, "Targets met?", can end support, adjust the plan or reassess.
It sits alongside the [safeguarding concern process](/templates/safeguarding-concern-process), for concerns about safety rather than learning, and the [school trip approval process](/templates/school-trip-approval-process), where a plan's adjustments may need to travel with the pupil. For formal sign-off of the written plan, see the [document approval workflow](/templates/document-approval-workflow). The chart is a starting point; adapt it to your national framework.
What this flowchart covers
In this template
- Five lanes (Student or Parent, Teacher, Learning Support Coordinator, Specialist Assessor, School Leadership) across five phases: Raise concern, Screen, Assess, Agree plan and Review.
- Two screening decisions, "Does the pupil need support beyond the classroom?" and "Specialist assessment needed?", plus a "Progress made?" loop back into screening.
- Plan agreement at "Plan agreed by family and school?" with a "Meet the family to resolve the disagreement" path, then a review cycle where "Targets met?" can close, adjust or reassess.
When to use this template
- You coordinate learning support and need teachers, families and specialists to see the same route and the same review dates.
- You are standardising how concerns are logged so every pupil is screened against the same criteria.
- You want to show governors or inspectors how a plan is agreed, resourced and reviewed.
How it works
Capture the concern with evidence
Start from "Log observations and what has been tried" so every referral arrives with dated examples, not an impression.
Agree screening criteria
Write down what "Screen the concern against the school's criteria" means in your school, then decide how long a classroom adjustment trial runs before screening again.
Involve the family before the plan is final
Use "Review the draft and add the pupil's own views" as a fixed step, and name who meets the family when the plan is "Not agreed".
Set the review date up front
Add the date at "Wait for the review date" and make the three outcomes at "Targets met?" visible to the whole team. Link the chart to your [safeguarding concern process](/templates/safeguarding-concern-process) where the two overlap.
Frequently asked questions
Who should raise a learning concern?
Anyone close to the pupil: the pupil, a parent or carer, or a teacher. The chart starts at the family lane for that reason, and the Teacher then logs observations so the concern has evidence behind it.
What happens if the family and school disagree on the plan?
The chart routes "Not agreed" to a meeting led by School Leadership, then back to the draft. The aim is a plan both sides can follow, with the disagreement and its resolution recorded.
How often should a learning support plan be reviewed?
That depends on your national framework and the pupil's needs. The template models the review as a dated wait followed by a "Targets met?" decision, so you can set the interval your school uses.
Does this template replace statutory special educational needs procedures?
No. It is an illustrative school-level process map. Statutory requirements differ by country and region, so check them against your local guidance before adopting it.