How to write SMART SEN targets, with examples
A good SEN target says what the pupil will be able to do, how well, and by when, so that everyone can tell at the review whether it has been met. Here's how to write one, with before-and-after examples for each area of need.
What SMART stands for
- Specific
- One clear skill or behaviour, described in words a parent, the pupil and a supply teacher would all understand.
- Measurable
- You can count it, observe it or check it: how often, how many, how independently.
- Achievable
- A realistic step from where the pupil is now, not where you'd like them to be in a year.
- Relevant
- It tackles a barrier to learning you've actually seen, and matters to the pupil and their family.
- Time-bound
- It has an end point, usually the next review, so progress is checked rather than drifting.
A simple formula
Most strong targets fit this pattern:
[Pupil] will [do something you can see] in [which situations] with [how much support] on [how many occasions] by [date or review].
For example: "Sam will explain a task back in his own words before starting, in 4 out of 5 lessons, by the end of this half-term."
Outcomes, not activities
The most common mistake is writing what adults will do instead of what the pupil will achieve. "Sam will attend a speech and language group twice a week" is provision, not a target. It belongs in the Plan and Do parts of the cycle. The target is the change you hope the group will bring about.
Before and after examples
| Area of need | Vague | SMART |
|---|---|---|
| Cognition and learning | Improve reading. | Ali will read a book matched to his phonics phase aloud at 60 words a minute with no more than 5 errors, in three out of four weekly checks, by the February review. |
| Communication and interaction | Follow instructions better. | Sam will carry out a two-step classroom instruction without a reminder in 4 out of 5 observed lessons by the end of the half-term. |
| Social, emotional and mental health | Manage her anger. | When she feels upset, Mia will use her calm card to ask for a 5-minute break instead of leaving the room, on at least 8 out of 10 occasions over the next 6 weeks. |
| Sensory and/or physical | Better handwriting. | Josh will write three sentences on lined paper with letters sitting on the line, using his pencil grip, in 3 out of 4 writing tasks by Easter. |
| Independence (early years) | Be more independent. | Ella will choose an activity from a visual choice board and stay with it for 5 minutes, with one adult prompt, on 3 days a week by the end of term. |
Five checks before you finish
- Could someone new tell if it's been met? If a supply teacher couldn't judge it, it isn't measurable yet.
- Is it about the pupil? Start with their name and an action verb such as read, ask, use, explain, choose or write.
- Is there a baseline? Note what the pupil does now (for example, "currently 1 in 5 lessons") so the review can show progress.
- Is the support stated? Saying "with a visual timetable" or "with one prompt" makes the target fair and repeatable.
- Have the pupil and family had a say? Targets work better when the pupil understands them and wants to achieve them.
How many targets?
Fewer is better. Three or four targets, each linked to a barrier you've identified, are easier to teach, track and review than a long list. If a target is met early, set the next step rather than waiting for the review.
Where targets fit in the cycle
Targets are agreed in the Plan stage of the graduated approach, worked on in Do, and checked in Review. A short version of each target also belongs on the pupil's one-page profile, so every adult knows what the pupil is working on.