The information below is an introduction to and overview of the Ordinarily available provision guidance for schools. The full guidance also available to download as Ordinarily available provision guide for schools (PDF).
Page contents
- Introduction
- Supporting statements
- Thank you to contributors
- Ordinarily available provision video
- Overview
- Further guidance
Introduction by Julia Katherine, Director for Education
In ÖйúPÕ¾, we believe every child deserves the chance to reach their full potential. We are committed to ensuring that all children have access to high-quality, inclusive education within their local communities.
Guided by our ‘Time for Kids’ principles, we are dedicated to creating learning environments that are responsive to the diverse needs of every child, enabling them to develop a sense of belonging within their school community.
The Ordinarily Available Provision (OAP) Guidance is a practical tool designed to help schools deliver the best quality education tailored to the individual needs of each child. This revised document serves as an accessible, everyday guide, reflecting real-life school situations and experiences.
This resource has been shaped by the invaluable insights and dedication of school leaders, Special Educational Needs Coordinators (SENCos), parents, carers, and children. We are deeply grateful for their contributions to the co-design process. Together, we can promote meaningful independence in school environments where every child feels valued, supported, and empowered to succeed in their unique way.
By adopting a consistent, whole-school approach to Ordinarily Available Provision, we aim to strengthen inclusive practice and ensure equitable opportunities for all children to thrive. By fostering positive relationships between schools, families, and other professionals, we hope to meet children's needs at the earliest opportunity, ensuring no learner is left behind.
Julia Katherine, Director for Education
Supporting statement from School SENCos
From co-producing the OAP, I’ve seen first-hand how bringing together different professionals helps make the document genuinely useful across the whole school. It’s not just about supporting pupils with Special Educational Needs (SEN) — it’s about building the confidence and skills of staff too. In our school, the OAP helped us to support understand of their journey clearly and recognise when the right time was to apply for an Education Health and Care (EHC) plan. That process felt less overwhelming because we had the OAP as a shared reference point. It’s a tool that really makes a difference when it’s shaped by everyone.
Primary and Nursery School Special Education Needs Coordinator (SENCo)
In a world in which there are increasing numbers of children in our schools with cognitive difference, ever increasing numbers of EHCPs and Emotional Based School Non-Attendance, Ordinarily Available Provision enables schools to develop their practice to teach the way all the children learn, whatever their needs may be. OAP enables all teachers and school staff to support all children, even those who have needs which are not yet identified, making classrooms accessible to many more learners. Where OAP is combined with relational practice, and children know that we care deeply for them, teachers and support staff can find a way forward to help all children learn and feel that they belong..
Multi-Academy Trust Inclusion Lead
A huge thank you to..
The children at Broadwater School, Danetree Primary School, Darley Dene Primary School, Glyn School, Oxted School, Sythwood Primary School, and Westfield Primary School — thank you for your invaluable contribution and perspective on school life. Your comments and lived experiences have provided a valuable insight into what everyday life in school is like for you, and we hope you see yourselves and hear your voices reflected throughout this document.
We also extend gratitude to the school staff, subject matter experts, partners, and stakeholders who have contributed to this review — whether as members of the review group, participants in the working groups, reviewers of documentation, or as host schools providing us with the opportunity to hear the ‘child’s voice.’ Your engagement, expertise, insights, and viewpoints have enriched and shaped this project beyond expectation.
This resource is the result of a collaborative effort involving many, and we hope the relationships built during this review period will continue to support our shared goal of improving outcomes for children.
Ordinarily available provision video
Overview
This section includes a clear definition and key principles of OAP, as collaboratively designed in partnership with ÖйúPÕ¾ SENCo school colleagues. These underpin the way OAP should be applied in schools.
Read the OAP Section A
This section describes the impact of positive relationships that nurture a sense of belonging for the whole school community. It is relevant for parents, school leaders, teachers, SENCos, and all other schools staff.
Read 'The importance of relationships' in OAP Section A
This section is especially relevant for parents, teachers, and SENCos where concerns persist despite high quality teaching.
Read 'Support around the child' in OAP Section A
This section includes a description of reasonable adjustments, with a focus on inclusive practice and removing barriers to learning, what the law says, and seeks to clarify what is and is not ‘reasonable’.
Read 'Reasonable adjustments' in OAP Section A
'High quality teaching', as described in the SEND Code of Practice, is teaching that is differentiated and personalised to meet the needs of children where progress:
- is significantly slower than that of their peers starting from the same baseline
- fails to match or better the child’s previous rate of progress
- fails to close the attainment gap between the child and their peers
- widens the attainment gap
High quality teaching considers the needs of children in schools to inform planning and delivery to make learning accessible. This may involve teaching staff using the examples of provision and/or strategies: approaches, adjustments and specific interventions, detailed in section three, to support children to learn, access and engage with the curriculum.
This section can be used to facilitate conversations between children, parents, and schools, and can be understood as the requirement for a school to take positive steps to ensure that all children can fully participate in the education provided by the school, and that they can enjoy the benefits, facilities, and services that the school provides.
Read 'High quality teaching' in OAP Section A
Contains practical examples of provision and/or strategies: approaches, adjustments and specific interventions to support children in schools. The strategies in this section should be used alongside high quality teaching, based on the needs of individual children. Schools are not expected to deliver all of the strategies, rather they should make adjustments and apply appropriate support based on the skills and resources available to the school.
It is of relevance to teachers, SENCos and school leaders when determining the school's SEND offer in relation to their learners' additional needs. It will also support conversations between schools and parents to ensure the right support can be prioritised at the right time.
In this section you will find examples of practice shared by schools, used to support children in school.