Strengthening planning for students
Student-centred planning means that every student in NSW public schools is known, valued, and cared for.
These plans help keep students safe and make sure they get the support they need. This could be changes to routines, lessons, tests, or extra help with learning.
From 2025, planning became easier by using three main templates. This helps make planning more efficient and keeps the focus on what students need and their goals.
These school-developed plans also help teachers, parents, carers, and the community work together to understand each student’s needs.
They align with existing department policies and procedures and the Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability (NCCD).
Planning guide
Student planning guide
Goal-oriented and strength-based planning
Consulting and collaborating with the student and their support network must underpin every stage of the planning.
01 Consult and Collaborate
- Consult with the student
- Consult with the parents/carers/kinship carers
- Ensure meetings take place in culturally inclusive spaces
- Collate measurable information
- Consider strategies and adjustments for individual students in teachers’ planning and programming or individual plan
- Determine what level of planning the student needs, and how it will be evidenced
- Liaise with current/previous school staff and other stakeholders
02 Identify and Assess
- Review any existing information and
previous planning to help build new plan - Gather information for learning and support: where is the student now, where they could be – goals, aspirations and needs
- Identify planning priorities
- Confirm if student need is due to a disability
- Obtain documentation from treating team, for health planning
- Identify strengths and barriers for the student
03 Develop and Resource
- Set strength based and aspirational goals as needed
- Identify reasonable adjustments/inclusive needs
- Engage the student and key stakeholders in goal-setting and adjustments
- Consider/embed strategies to ensure cultural inclusivity
- Ensure compliance with policies, procedures and guidelines
- Engage external allied health/other professionals, as required
- Include support strategies considering what previously has or has not worked
- Identify roles and responsibilities
04 Implement and Monitor
- Implement the strategies and adjustments recorded in teachers’ planning and
programming or individual plan, in consultation with students and their support network - Consistent implementation by all staff
- Monitor goals and track progress of the current plan
- Adjust the plan for the student as needed
05 Review
- Implement the strategies and adjustments recorded in teachers’ planning and
programming or individual plan, in consultation with students and their support network - Consistent implementation by all staff
- Monitor goals and track progress of the current plan
- Adjust the plan for the student as needed
Additional resources for school staff
Strengthening planning for students (staff-only support resources)