ABSTRACT
The national and Ofsted focus on pupil attainment and progress means that most schools have and continue to use such whole-school systems. The process starts with setting individual progress targets that say what P level, NC level or sub-level the pupil is aiming to achieve at the end of the key stage and – working backwards from that – the end of each year. These are numerical targets. They are not the same as the kinds of targets we see on IEPs, but they fulfil a function that is missing in an IEP-driven system. In such a system small-steps targets are set for what the pupil will know, understand and be able to do at the end of each term or six-month review period. But no longer-term goals are set, and it is possible for the pupil to achieve all the IEP targets but not make the ‘level jumps’ in attainment that are possible and achieved by other pupils with similar learning needs.
