Writing the

INDIVIDUAL LEARNING PLAN

By the time the teacher begins writing the Individual Learning Plan (ILP) the following steps should have taken place:

• student has been thoroughly assessed,
• communication has occurred between all members of the Student Support Group and any relevant professionals regarding the student’s needs,
• each learning goal has been examined and refined, and
• draft-form learning goals have been examined in relation to each other for compatibility and coherence.

For more information about any of these parts of the process, see the sections named goal development  and  before you write the learning plan.

The ILP describes the student’s entry-level skills and then sets out specific learning goals. It is important to ensure that there is an obvious relationship between the entry-level skill described and the learning goal. For this reason, the relevant entry skill is placed beside the goal. For example:

Note that the entry skill is stated in positive terms - it describes what the student can currently do.

The learning goal is clearly related to the entry skill. It states in clear, positive terms what the student will be able to do and meets the criteria for a SMART goal.

Different schools have different document templates for creating the ILP. Many schools will have a section where strategies for working towards goals are listed. Implementation strategies should be clearly described so that it is straightforward for all staff to follow through in daily practice.

As with any reporting document, the ILP should be carefully re-read by the teacher and then examined by a member of the leadership team before being provided to the student’s parents/carers.