Understanding the Learner Behind the Data | Secondary Pupil Support Toolkit

What should you do when a pupil’s attainment, classroom participation and experience seem to tell different stories?

This practical KS3 and KS4 toolkit helps secondary staff bring together existing evidence, pupil voice, family perspectives and classroom observations. Use the editable templates to define a learning question, check possible explanations and agree a focused support plan with a review date.

Suitable for SENCOs, tutors, pastoral staff, subject teachers and learning support teams. Use selected pages alongside your school’s existing processes.

WHAT IS INCLUDED
Five separate documents, each supplied in editable Word and printable PDF:

1. Staff Overview and Guidance: 3 pages, with a practical sequence, access guidance and linked background reading.
2. Conversation Templates: 4 pages for pupil voice, family input, staff perspective and a joint summary.
3. Evidence and Observation Templates: 3 pages for mapping existing information, observing a task and comparing contexts.
4. Worked Examples: 3 fictional secondary cases showing how evidence can inform support and review.
5. Support Plan and Review: 3 pages for an agreed plan, brief observations and a review decision.

The examples explore differences between oral understanding and written work, confidence and demonstrated knowledge, and classroom participation and homework access.

This is an educational planning and discussion toolkit. It is not a diagnostic assessment, psychometric instrument or replacement for specialist assessment.