SEND provision mapping: a practical guide for schools

A SEND provision map records the additional or different support a school arranges for pupils with special educational needs. A useful map connects need, provision, delivery, cost and impact. It is not just a list of interventions.

Provision mapping is recommended in the SEND Code of Practice. There is no single statutory national template.

What to include

At pupil level, record only information needed for planning and review. Useful fields include:

• identified need or barrier
• intended outcome
• provision or adjustment
• frequency, duration and group size
• staff role or required expertise
• start and review dates
• delivery record
• baseline and review measure
• cost or resource assumption
• source of professional advice

At cohort level, aggregate the information needed to identify gaps, duplication and demand without exposing unnecessary personal data.

Connect the map to APDR

The map should support the graduated approach:

1. Assess: record the evidence about need and baseline.
2. Plan: specify the intended outcome, support and review date.
3. Do: record whether the provision happened.
4. Review: compare evidence, decide what changes and start the next cycle.

A map that contains no delivery or impact data cannot show whether support worked.

Additional or different provision

SEND provision mapping normally focuses on provision that is additional to or different from the school's universal offer. Do not relabel ordinary high-quality teaching as a pupil-specific intervention merely to increase a cost total.

The school's ordinarily available provision will vary by local expectations. Record that context separately so staff can distinguish universal practice, targeted SEN support and provision specified in an EHC plan.

Handle costs carefully

The commonly cited first £6,000 is a national funding convention connected to the notional SEN budget and high-needs funding. It is not a legal threshold that a pupil must cross before an EHC needs assessment can be requested. It is also not proof that a school has met need.

Use transparent cost assumptions:

• staff hourly cost and allocated time
• group-size share
• specialist contracts
• equipment or training
• setup and ongoing costs

Avoid false precision. State when a figure is estimated or shared across pupils.

Use the map for EHCP work

For an assessment request, consultation or annual review, the map can show:

• support already tried
• whether it was delivered
• the pupil's response
• current resource requirements
• gaps between professional advice and available provision

It should sit alongside pupil views, family views, professional reports and broader school evidence. A costed map alone does not decide the statutory test.

Protect SEND data

SEND information can include special-category personal data. Limit access by role, collect only what is needed and set clear retention rules. If the map is a shared spreadsheet, review permissions, download copies, version history and accidental disclosure risk.

Termly quality check

• Current pupils and review dates are accurate
• Provision is specific
• Delivery is recorded
• Outcomes and measures are visible
• Costs use consistent assumptions
• Universal provision is not double-counted
• EHC plan provision matches Section F
• Access is limited appropriately
• Old copies are controlled

Unisen gives schools a shared view of provision, evidence and outcomes without splitting the case across disconnected files.

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