Primary Special Education (SET)

Every child. Every need. Supported.

The complete digital command centre for Irish Primary Special Education Teachers: instant Student Support Files (SSF), Log of Actions, SMART target bank, SNA Personal Pupil Plans, Social Story creator, and diagnostic assessment tools.

SSF Plan & Log of Actions SMART Target Bank SNA Care Plan (PPP) Social Stories & Passes

Special Education Hub Features

  • Continuum of Support: Full SSF templates (Classroom, School Support, Support Plus) + Log of Actions.
  • SNA Care Management: Personal Pupil Plan (PPP) care needs, intimate care logs, and fading schedules.
  • Regulation & Social Stories: Interactive Zones of Regulation, Sensory Circuit passes, and social script maker.
  • Assessment & STen Converter: Standard score to STen/Percentile converter + Running Record analyzer.
NEPS & Inspectorate Compliant: Formats fully align with Circular 0013/2017 & 0002/2024, NEPS Guidelines, and WSE-MLL inspections.

Student Support File (SSF) & Log of Actions Generator

Generate a complete, inspection-ready Student Support Plan conforming to the DES Continuum of Support (Classroom Support, School Support, or School Support Plus) with embedded Log of Actions.

Student Support File · Support Plan
Department of Education & Skills Primary Continuum of Support
Stage 2: School Support
Pupil: Cillian O'Connor
DOB: 12/04/2017
Class: 2nd Class (Ms. Brennan)
SET Teacher: Mr. Kelly
Review Date: 22/01/2027

1. Strengths, Interests & Learning Profile

Creative, enthusiastic about GAA and nature, strong oral narrative skills, responds well to visual praise and interactive games.

2. Priority Identified Needs & Baseline Evidence

Phonological awareness, blending digraphs (ch, sh, th), working memory when reading multisyllabic words.

Baseline: Micra-T: STen 3 (Standard Score 88); Drumcondra Phonics screener 12/25.

3. SMART Learning Targets

1. Pupil will decode 20 target consonant digraph words with 90% accuracy by end of term. 2. Pupil will independently use the 'Zones of Regulation' visual check-in to request a sensory break.

4. Intervention Strategies, Accommodation & Staff Collaboration

• Small group withdrawal 3x weekly (25 mins) using UFLI/SNIP phonics routines. • Station teaching in class for guided reading (twice weekly). • Visual timetable & desk-strip calming strategies.

Roles: Class Teacher (differentiation), SET (phonics group), Parents (paired reading 10 mins nightly).

5. Continuum of Support Log of Actions

Date Action / Meeting Personnel Outcome / Decision
15/09/2026 Initial Teacher Consultation Class Teacher & SET Concerns noted regarding phonics retention; baseline screeners initiated.
28/09/2026 Parent Planning Meeting Parents, SET, Class Teacher Agreed SMART targets and nightly paired reading protocol; SSF signed.
14/10/2026 Informal Mid-Term Progress Check SET Cillian mastered 'sh' and 'ch'; continuing 'th' and 'wh'.
Teacher Signature: _______________________
Parent/Guardian Signature: _______________________
Date: _______________

SET SMART Target Bank

120+ inspection-approved, curriculum-aligned SMART targets across literacy, numeracy, attention, regulation, and motor development. Click "Copy Target" to drop it straight into your Student Support File.

Literacy Stage 1 - 2
Pupil will blend and segment CVC and CCVC words containing consonant digraphs (sh, ch, th, wh) with 85% accuracy across 3 consecutive sessions.
Strategies: Elkonin sound boxes, magnetic letters, UFLI decodables.
Literacy Stage 2 - 3
Pupil will accurately read 80 out of the 100 High-Frequency Words on sight within 3 seconds per word by the end of Term 1.
Strategies: Rapid flashcards, paired reading, look-say-cover-write-check.
Literacy Stage 3 - 4
Pupil will apply reciprocal reading strategies (predicting, clarifying, questioning, summarising) to answer 4 out of 5 comprehension questions correctly.
Strategies: Graphic organizers, colored thinking prompts, scaffolded cloze.
Numeracy Stage 1 - 2
Pupil will recall number bonds to 10 automatically without finger-counting using Numicon patterns with 90% accuracy.
Strategies: Numicon shapes, tens frames, double-sided counters.
Numeracy Stage 2 - 3
Pupil will demonstrate understanding of place value up to 999 by decomposing numbers into hundreds, tens, and units using base-ten Dienes blocks.
Strategies: Concrete-Pictorial-Abstract (CPA) cycle, place value arrow cards.
Numeracy Stage 3 - 4
Pupil will use the RUCSAC method (Read, Underline, Choose, Solve, Answer, Check) to solve 2-step practical word problems with teacher prompting.
Strategies: Highlighting keywords, math vocabulary mats, structured steps.
Regulation All Stages
Pupil will identify when they are in the 'Yellow Zone' and independently select an approved calming tool (e.g. wobble cushion, 2-min timer) before becoming dysregulated.
Strategies: Zones visual check-in strip, calm corner, visual break pass.
Regulation Stage 1 - 2
Pupil will participate in a structured 15-minute paired or small-group activity, taking turns with peer without adult intervention in 4 out of 5 sessions.
Strategies: Social story on turn-taking, talking token, praise tokens.
Speech & Lang Stage 1 - 2
Pupil will follow 2-step instructional sequences accurately in the classroom setting using a visual first/then strip.
Strategies: First/Then board, chunking language, verbal repetition check.
Motor Skills Stage 1 - 3
Pupil will maintain a dynamic tripod pencil grasp with finger-spacer to write legible sentences resting on the baseline across a 5-line paragraph.
Strategies: Triangular pencil grip, sloped writing desk board, finger gym.

SNA Personal Pupil Plan (PPP) & Care Needs Generator

Under NCSE Circular 0030/2014 & Guidelines, Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) are allocated specifically for primary care needs. Generate a clear Personal Pupil Plan (PPP) documenting care duties and independence fading goals.

NCSE Care Needs Qualifying Criteria

Independence Fading Target

NCSE Inspectorate requirement: All PPPs must articulate steps towards fostering pupil autonomy.

Personal Pupil Plan (PPP) · Special Needs Care Profile
Compliant with Circular 0030/2014 & National Council for Special Education (NCSE)
Active Care Plan

Pupil: Liam Murphy · Class: 1st Class · SNA Lead: Mary Byrne · Review Date: January 2027

Care Domain Identified Care Need SNA Role & Protocol Independence Target
Toileting / Hygiene Prompting required every 90 mins; fine motor buttons assistance. Discreet verbal reminder; escort to designated toilet; verify handwashing. Liam initiates toilet request using visual PECS card without prompting.
Sensory Regulation Auditory overload during hall transitions and bell sounds. Ensure noise-cancelling ear defenders are positioned 2 mins before bell rings. Liam independently collects ear defenders from his desk tray.
Yard Safety Tendency to run towards boundary gate when overwhelmed by game noise. Active zone supervision; engage in structured paired playground activity. Liam stays within green painted yard boundary for full 20 mins.

Social Story Creator & Visual Calming Tools

Generate Carol Gray-model social stories for neurodivergent pupils and print visual break passes and calm corner prompt sheets.

Taking Turns & Sharing in the Yard

A Social Story for Jack

⭐ When I take turns, I have fun with my friends and keep our yard happy!

Printable Desk Visual Passes

🧘
SENSORY BREAK PASS
Valid for: 3 minutes in Quiet Corner
💧
WATER & STRETCH PASS
Take a quiet drink & return ready to work
🛑
HELP PLEASE PASS
Show to teacher when work feels too hard

SET Delivery Models & Timetable Ratio Planner

Under Circular 0013/2017 and DES Inspectorate guidelines, SET provision must balance targeted in-class support (station teaching, team teaching) with small-group/individual withdrawal based strictly on pupil need.

Weekly SET Hours Breakdown

55% In-Class
45% Withdrawal
Healthy Balance: Your allocation satisfies Inspectorate expectations for mainstream inclusion while maintaining focused intervention time for high-priority needs.

DES In-Class Co-Teaching Models

  • Station Teaching: 3-4 groups rotating. SET leads an instructional/phonics station; Class Teacher leads a new concept station; independent stations handle practice.
  • Parallel Teaching: Class split into two equal heterogeneous groups. Lower pupil-to-teacher ratio for high-density practice.
  • Alternative / Tiered Teaching: SET pre-teaches or pre-exposes vocabulary to priority pupils before the whole-class lesson begins.
  • Team Teaching (One Teach / One Assist): Class teacher instructs while SET observes specific target behaviors, models strategies, or prompts.

Evidence-Based SEN Programmes & Regulation Toolkits

Curated frameworks for primary schools in Ireland: reading recovery, concrete maths interventions, and regulation tools.

1. The Zones of Regulation Framework

Visual check-in tool to help neurodivergent and dysregulated pupils recognise internal states and select proactive coping strategies.

Blue Zone

Feelings: Sad, tired, sick, bored, moving slowly.

Strategies: Take a stretch, drink water, talk to a teacher, gentle movement.

Green Zone

Feelings: Calm, focused, ready to learn, content.

Strategies: Ready to work, station teaching, active listening.

Yellow Zone

Feelings: Frustrated, anxious, silly, wiggly, excited.

Strategies: Deep breathing, wobble cushion, 2-minute quiet break, fidget tool.

Red Zone

Feelings: Anger, rage, panic, completely overwhelmed.

Strategies: Safe space, quiet corner, sensory circuit, calm breathing, no demands.

Primary Literacy Interventions

  • SNIP Literacy Programme: 3-part structured literacy focusing on visual memory of high-frequency words.
  • Toe by Toe & Word Wasp: Highly structured, multi-sensory phonics drill for dyslexic pupils.
  • Paired Reading: 10-minute nightly parent-pupil synchronised reading framework with dual-speed reading.
  • UFLI Foundations: Explicit systematic phonics routines with Elkonin sound mapping.

Primary Maths Interventions

  • Maths Recovery (MDR): Early number assessment (Forward/Backward Number Word Sequences, Structuring Numbers to 20).
  • Numicon Multisensory Framework: Tactile, self-correcting visual shapes that represent numbers concretely.
  • CPA (Concrete-Pictorial-Abstract): Ensuring pupils touch manipulatives before moving to pictures and numerals.
  • Dyscalculia Working Memory Scaffolds: Visual number lines, desktop hundreds charts, and step-by-step algorithms.

Diagnostic Screeners, Running Records & STen Converter

Standardised test score converter (Drumcondra, Micra-T, Sigma-T) and real-time reading accuracy running record calculator.

Standardised Assessment (STen / Standard Score) Converter

Convert Standard Scores (Micra-T / Sigma-T / Drumcondra) into STen, Percentiles, and SEN Continuum eligibility:

STen 3
Priority School Support (Stage 2)

Running Record Calculator

Accuracy Rate: 96%
Reading Level: Instructional Level
Self-Correction Ratio: 1 : 3

Informal Phonics & Phonological Screener

Tick off skills mastered during diagnostic baseline assessment:

SET Cuntas Míosúil & WSE-MLL Inspection Readiness

Generate your monthly progress record for the Principal and Board of Management, and verify compliance with DES Inspectorate special education benchmarks.

SET Monthly Progress Record

Inspectorate Special Education Checklist