The challenge
Why does SEND provision so often miss the mark?
Children with SEND often find themselves caught between what the curriculum expects of them and what they are developmentally ready to access. Interventions that work for other children frequently miss the mark — not because the child cannot learn, but because provision has not been matched to their actual developmental starting point.
Without granular insight into where each child genuinely is on the developmental continuum, even the most well-resourced SEND support can feel like guesswork.
The gap Launchpad identifies
Moving beyond labels to understand the actual barrier
Launchpad's skills framework is built on the understanding that development is incremental — every skill has a foundation, and every foundation can be identified and built upon. For children with SEND, this means moving beyond diagnostic labels and finding the specific skill gap that is acting as the biggest barrier to progress right now.
- Motor skills — from basic grasp and manipulation through to fine motor control
- Attention and concentration at each developmental stage
- Communication and language at the earliest foundational levels
- Sensory processing and its impact on learning readiness
- Pragmatic and social-emotional skills underpinning behaviour and engagement
- Disordered development patterns and red flag indicators
How Launchpad solves it
Assess → Identify → Build → Track
Step 1 — Assess
Find the true starting point
Use developmental assessments across motor, communication, attention, sensory, and cognitive strands to establish each child's genuine starting point — regardless of age.
Step 2 — Identify
Isolate the key barrier
Identify the single most significant skill gap acting as a barrier to learning and progression for each SEND child — and focus support precisely there.
Step 3 — Build
Provision matched to capacity
Design targeted intervention that matches the child's actual developmental capacity — inclusive, progressive, and free from the frustration of provision pitched too high.
Step 4 — Track
Evidence progress rigorously
Track progress in a format that supports EHCP reviews, SEND reviews, and multi-agency collaboration — demonstrating impact clearly and concisely.
What's included for members
Everything you need in one place
- Developmental assessments that go below typical age expectations
- Motor skills, communication, attention, and sensory skill progressions
- Four-tiered approach to provision — from universal to specialist
- Guidance for the lowest 20% including children with complex needs
- Disordered development flags and indicators
- CPD resources to build team confidence in SEND provision
Who this is for
Built for everyone responsible for SEND provision
- SENCOs and inclusion leaders
- Class teachers supporting children with EHCPs and SEND support plans
- Teaching assistants delivering targeted interventions
- Leaders wanting a consistent, evidence-based approach to SEND provision across the setting
Real impact
What schools are saying
“It provides us with key tracking assessment tools, ensuring children make accelerated progress from low starting points.”
Diane Jeffries, Director of Early Years – WISE Academies
“
Launchpad for Literacy has been the key to success and every teacher is now confident and uses Launchpad every day.
Deb Ward, Executive Headteacher – Northumberland