When we think of therapy, we often imagine one-to-one sessions where a therapist works directly with the child. This can be the case, but we also need a clear understanding of the model of support that will have the most impact.
Therapists and teachers often embed strategies in group settings once formal assessments have taken place. For example, a speech and language therapist may assess a child’s needs, introduce initial skills, and then support these being embedded across the curriculum and at home.
Similarly, physiotherapy may involve direct assessment and tailored strategies, which are then practised regularly across different settings. This is typical practice from therapeutic work programmes.
A model that helps explain how therapeutic support can work includes:
- Universal – everyone supports the need
- Targeted – small group work support the need
- Direct – specialist support, usually one-to-one, to support the need
For the children we typically work with, it is important to be clear which strategies should be embedded across the day and which must be delivered directly by a specialist.
Examples of how Section F might be written to support speech and language outcomes
“Specialist teaching assistant with training in phonics, supporting communication across all lessons.”
“30 minutes weekly direct SALT delivered by a qualified therapist, with targets reviewed half-termly and adapted suitably.”
“A communication-accessible curriculum, adapted to meet his individual communication needs, including the use of visual supports, simplified language, and opportunities to practise functional communication throughout the school day.”
“He needs implementation of structured playground games by class staff. The games should involve peers (at least one other).”
Provision should evolve as needs change. If a child’s progress remains static across many years or key stages, it is likely something needs reviewing. Provision should be adapted when progress is not as expected, and the annual review provides the space to explore this, supported by clear evidence about what will work best.
Annual reviews can, however, become challenging: schools may want to move provision forward, families may feel protective of what is written after fighting hard to secure it. Local authorities, after years of cuts and austerity, may appear to be reducing provision rather than expanding it. If the local authority refuses to amend provision, parents can challenge this through mediation or tribunal, supported by evidence from the professionals working with the child. Unfortunately, this is not a quick process.
As Section F is legally enforceable, parents and professionals should work together to ensure that what is written is what is delivered. Therapists and other professionals must keep clear records so that review reports are based on factual evidence.
As the Code of Practice rightly states:
“The plan should be clear, concise, understandable and accessible.” Making it something that is genuinely supportive for the young person and family.
How Sections B, E and F Connect for a Communication Need
This example shows how a clearly identified communication need in Section B is translated into measurable outcomes in Section E and supported through specific, deliverable provision in Section F.
Section B – Need
“He presents with speech sound difficulties, which can at times affect how clearly he is understood by others. He maintains eye contact and uses non-verbal strategies, such as pointing and gestures, to support his communication and express his needs.“
Section E – Outcomes
By the end of Term 1
- He will work directly with a Speech and Language Therapist to develop oral motor awareness and practise targeted speech sounds, using activities linked to his individual interests.
- He will be introduced to a range of functional communication methods within the classroom, using his areas of interest to support engagement and understanding.
By the end of Term 3
- He will consistently use a small, agreed set of functional communication tools to make requests, express basic needs, and indicate preferences during structured classroom activities.
- With staff support, he will begin to generalise these communication methods across different classroom routines and with familiar adults.
By the end of Terms 4 and 5
- He will begin to use his functional communication system in both adult-led and self-initiated situations.
- He will apply these communication skills in wider school contexts beyond the classroom, including structured playtimes, transitions, and group activities.
Section F – Provision
- Support from a specialist teaching assistant with appropriate training, embedded across all lessons to scaffold communication and language development.
- A minimum of 30 minutes per week of direct Speech and Language Therapy delivered by a qualified therapist, with targets reviewed at least half-termly and adapted in line with progress.
- A communication-accessible curriculum, tailored to support his individual communication needs throughout the school day.
- Implementation of structured playground games by class staff, involving at least one peer, to support the development and generalisation of communication skills in social contexts.
Training and support required to deliver EHCP provision
For the provision set out in Section F to be delivered consistently and effectively, staff must be appropriately trained and supported. An EHCP should not assume that existing knowledge or goodwill alone is sufficient. Where specific strategies, interventions or approaches are named, there must be clarity about how staff will gain and maintain the skills required to deliver them.
In the example above, staff supporting communication would need a clear understanding of the child’s communication profile, including how speech sound difficulties present, how these affect day-to-day communication, and how non-verbal strategies are currently used. Training should include guidance from a Speech and Language Therapist on how to model speech sounds, support oral motor awareness, and reinforce communication attempts in meaningful, functional contexts across the school day.
Where a specialist teaching assistant is identified, this role should be supported by targeted training rather than relying on general classroom experience alone. This may include training in phonics approaches that are adapted for communication needs, use of visual supports, functional communication systems, and strategies to reduce communication breakdown. Ongoing supervision or review sessions with the therapist are essential so that practice remains accurate and responsive as the child develops.
Whole-staff awareness is also important. Even when direct therapy is delivered by a specialist, outcomes are most likely to be achieved when strategies are embedded consistently by all adults working with the child. This may involve short training sessions, written guidance, or modelling in the classroom so that teachers, support staff and lunchtime supervisors understand their role in reinforcing communication skills.
In addition, staff implementing structured playground games or social communication strategies need clear instruction on what this looks like in practice. Training should cover how to scaffold peer-to-peer interactions, how to prompt without over-supporting, and how to generalise skills from adult-led activities into more natural social situations. Without this guidance, well-intentioned support can become inconsistent or ineffective.
The role of parents and joint working
Effective Speech and Language Therapy programmes rely on consistency across settings, including home. Parents and carers play a vital role in reinforcing communication strategies, particularly where functional communication, speech sound practice, or use of visual supports are being introduced. For this to be achievable, schools and therapists should ensure that parents understand the aims of the programme, the strategies being used, and how these can be supported in everyday routines at home.
This does not require parents to deliver therapy, but it does require clear communication and collaboration. Simple guidance, modelling, or shared resources can help families support communication in natural and meaningful contexts, such as during play, mealtimes, or daily routines. When schools and families work together, using consistent language, prompts, and expectations, children are more likely to generalise skills and make sustained progress.
Regular communication between school, therapists and parents is essential. This may include brief updates, shared targets, or review meetings to discuss progress and adapt strategies where needed. Joint working ensures that therapy programmes remain realistic, consistent, and responsive to the child’s needs, and helps avoid situations where strategies are applied effectively in school but not transferred to the home environment.
Finally, training should not be a one-off event. As outcomes are reviewed and refined through the annual review process, staff and caregivers may require refresher training or additional input to reflect changes in need, progress or approach. Time for planning, reflection and collaboration with therapists and families is a crucial part of delivering EHCP provision properly, not an optional extra.
To explore this further, you may find our article Making the EHCP Work for a Child With SMS helpful. It looks at how the different sections of an EHCP come together in practice, what good implementation looks like day to day, and how families, schools and professionals can work together to ensure the plan genuinely supports the child.
Making the EHCP Work for a Child With SMS