8 Aug 2026
The assess, plan, do, review cycle explained
Understand each stage of the assess, plan, do, review cycle, who remains responsible and how to turn SEND support into useful evidence.
Unisen Team·schools·3 min read
Assess, plan, do, review is the four-stage cycle schools use to understand special educational needs, arrange support and test whether it is working. Each review informs the next assessment, so the process becomes progressively more detailed when need persists.
The SEND Code of Practice describes the cycle but does not prescribe one national form or a fixed number of cycles.
Assess
Build a shared understanding of the pupil's strengths, needs and barriers. Use more than attainment data.
Evidence may include:
- teacher assessment and observation
- pupil and parent views
- previous progress and support
- attendance and participation
- communication, sensory, physical or emotional factors
- advice from the SENCO and external professionals
Do not wait for a diagnosis before responding to an evident need. Record uncertainty and what further information is required.
Plan
Agree what should change and how support will be delivered. The plan should state:
- the intended outcomes
- provision and adjustments
- frequency, duration and group size where relevant
- responsible staff
- start and review dates
- how progress and delivery will be measured
- how the pupil and family will be involved
Parents should be formally notified when SEN support is being provided. The plan belongs in ordinary teaching practice, not only in the SENCO's files.
Do
Put the plan into practice and record delivery. The class or subject teacher remains responsible for the pupil's progress, even when an intervention is delivered by a teaching assistant or specialist.
The teacher should work with the SENCO to assess impact, identify barriers and adjust classroom teaching. If sessions are missed, record that rather than treating absence of progress as evidence that the intervention failed.
Review
At the agreed date, compare the baseline, delivery evidence and current position. Ask:
- Was the support delivered as planned?
- What changed for the pupil?
- Which evidence demonstrates that change?
- What did the pupil and family notice?
- Should support continue, change, increase or stop?
- Is specialist advice or an EHC needs assessment request now appropriate?
A review is a decision point, not a description of activity.
How many cycles are required?
There is no national rule requiring two or three cycles before a school or family can request an EHC needs assessment. The statutory assessment test remains the test in section 36(8) of the Children and Families Act 2014.
APDR evidence can make a request stronger, but local gatekeeping rules cannot override the law. Where need is urgent or substantial, waiting for an arbitrary number of cycles may be inappropriate.
What good APDR evidence looks like
A useful record connects:
| Stage | Evidence |
|---|---|
| Assess | Need, baseline and views |
| Plan | Outcome, provision and measure |
| Do | Dated delivery and classroom response |
| Review | Change, interpretation and next decision |
Avoid copied targets, vague phrases such as "extra support" and review notes that say only "continue".
Keep the cycle proportionate
Not every adjustment needs a lengthy document. Record enough to communicate, deliver, review and evidence decisions. Use existing school systems where they work, and avoid duplicate entry across plans, maps and spreadsheets.
Unisen connects APDR evidence to provision and EHCP workflows so staff and families can see what happened and what comes next.