The Role of High-Quality Interventions

High-quality adaptive teaching is our most powerful tool for securing pupil progress. However, some learners will require additional, targeted support to thrive. Carefully selected interventions, designed to complement, not replace, high-quality teaching can play a vital role in a school’s provision for pupils with SEND. These may focus on teaching specific skills, building emotional resilience, or addressing barriers to learning.

Supporting learners with SEND effectively requires a balanced approach that integrates:

• Evidence-Based Practice (EBP): Interventions and strategies grounded in rigorous research and proven impact.
• Practice-Based Evidence (PBE): Insights and adaptations developed through practitioner experience and contextual understanding. In effective practice, educators may develop or adapt strategies as a result of observation, ongoing monitoring, and reflective practice, tailoring their approaches to what works best for individual pupils in specific contexts. This approach is particularly important when working with learners whose needs do not align neatly with established interventions, and who may require more bespoke or flexible support.

By combining these two strands, educators can ensure that their support is both informed and adaptable, rooted in what works, and refined through reflective practice.

In each section of the guidance, we highlight carefully selected examples of evidence-based and evidence-informed interventions that have demonstrated impact in improving outcomes across areas of need. These are drawn from robust research and practitioner expertise, and the accompanying database signposts key messages distilled from current research (for example, insights into effective strategies for literacy, communication, and emotional regulation).

Ultimately, the key to supporting learners with Special Educational Needs (SEN) lies in the thoughtful monitoring, tailoring, and ongoing evaluation of interventions. Whether drawn from academic research or practitioner knowledge, interventions must remain responsive, effective, and aligned with the unique needs of each child. This dynamic approach ensures that support evolves as pupils’ needs change, and that provision remains both inclusive and impactful.

Prompts to Guide Intervention Planning and Review

These prompts support effective decision-making around interventions for pupils with SEND. They are designed to foster thoughtful planning, collaborative review, and impactful implementation:

• Use small group and one-to-one interventions with care
  Less is more. Prioritise key outcomes and be clear about the intended impact. Avoid overloading pupils by focusing on what will make the greatest difference.
• Select high-quality, structured interventions
  Choose interventions with a strong evidence base and clear structure. Refer to examples in our database to support informed selection.
• Adjust the intensity of support thoughtfully
  Tailor delivery to pupil needs. This might include:
  • Slowing down to check understanding
  • Providing opportunities for independent practice
  • Supporting overlearning of key skills
  • Adding scaffolds or prompts where needed.
• Target the intervention closely to the identified need
  Ensure the intervention addresses the specific barrier. For example, a reading intervention will be more effective if it targets the precise area of difficulty such as phonics, comprehension, or fluency.
• Implement well and sustain gains
  Effective implementation is key. Ensure:
• Practitioners are well-trained and confident.
• Pupil voice, family input, and teacher collaboration are valued.
• Gains are celebrated and embedded back into classroom practice.

Adapted from Selecting interventions | EEF