Ordinarily Available Provision: A Teacher's Guide
What ordinarily available provision means in practice: the EEF five-a-day framework, the graduated approach, Ofsted expectations.
Ordinarily available provision (OAP) is the baseline of inclusive teaching that every school in England is expected to deliver. This is without a diagnosis, without an Education, Health and Care Plan, and without additional funding. It is what good schools do as a matter of course: reasonable adjustments, quality-first teaching, and a graduated response to emerging need. The term was first used formally by the Department for Education in 2023 and is now central to the 2026 Schools White Paper. Despite this, most teachers have only seen OAP as a phrase in local authority documents. They get little guidance on what it actually looks like in a classroom.
Quality-first teaching comes first. It forms the base of support in schools. Schools should use this before targeted help (Wearmouth, 2012). Consider extra support only after this, say Ofsted (2014).
Key Takeaways
- Ordinarily Available Provision is fundamentally about high-quality teaching for every learner, not just those with identified SEND. This approach, often termed "quality-first teaching," ensures that effective pedagogical strategies, such as clear explanations and adaptive teaching, are universally applied, significantly benefiting all learners and reducing the need for extensive individualised interventions (Hattie, 2012).
- A robust graduated response is an intrinsic component of Ordinarily Available Provision, necessitating continuous assessment and adaptation. This cyclical process of 'assess, plan, do, review' ensures that support for learners is active and responsive to their evolving needs, preventing escalation of difficulties by providing timely and appropriate adjustments within the classroom (Thomas, 2013).
- Implementing effective Ordinarily Available Provision requires a profound whole-school commitment and a culture of shared responsibility. Successful inclusive practice is not solely the domain of the SENCO, but rather flourishes when all staff collaborate, share expertise, and collectively commit to meeting diverse learner needs (Fullan, 2016).
- Ordinarily Available Provision is an evidence-informed framework, prioritising strategies with proven impact for learners with special educational needs and disabilities. Drawing upon robust research, such as that synthesised by the Education Endowment Foundation, OAP encourages teachers to implement high-leverage practices like explicit instruction and metacognitive strategies, which demonstrably improve outcomes (EEF, 2021).
What Ordinarily Available Provision Actually Means
The SEND Code of Practice (2015) section 6.15 defines special needs as requiring provision beyond typical support. Baseline provision is what learners usually receive at their age. Schools with structured teaching raise the threshold for "additional" support.
Scaffolding, Explicit Instruction, Cognitive Metacognitive, Flexible Grouping, Use of Technology. It illustrates what inclusive teaching looks like in practice." loading="lazy">
The Children and Families Act 2014, at section 36(8), sets the legal test for an Education, Health and Care Needs Assessment (EHCNA): the local authority must consider whether a child "may have" SEN and whether it "may be necessary" to make an EHC Plan. That test is deliberately low. But it only applies after the school has demonstrated that its own provision, OAP and then targeted support, has not been sufficient. OAP is therefore the foundation on which every SEND decision in your school rests.
Hertfordshire's 2025 guidance calls OAP "inclusive teaching and adjustments" for all learners. Authorities use slightly different words, but expect routine, documented adjustments. Devon calls it "Ordinarily Available Inclusive Provision" as a starting point. Essex uses a two-tier model, "inclusive teaching" and "targeted support". Surrey's online guidance organises OAP by SEND Code areas.
The three-tier model most local authorities now use looks like this:
| Tier | What it includes | Funding source | Documentation required |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ordinarily Available Provision | Quality-first teaching, reasonable adjustments, differentiation, access arrangements available to all | Core school budget (AWPU) | Class teacher records, lesson planning |
| SEN Support | Targeted interventions, provision mapping, APDR cycle, parental involvement | Core budget + notional SEN budget (up to £6,000) | SEN Support record, provision map, APDR documentation |
| EHCP | Specialist, specified, and quantified provision; statutory rights; LA oversight | High Needs Block (above £6,000 threshold) | Full multi-agency assessment, legally binding plan |
The EEF Five-a-Day for SEND
EEF (2020) suggests five core, evidence based SEND approaches. These are in "Special Educational Needs in Mainstream Schools". The strategies are not specialist interventions. Instead, they are high quality teaching, aligning with OAP expectations.
The EEF is explicit on this point: "High quality teaching, differentiated for individual learners, is the first step in responding to learners who have or may have SEND. Extra support cannot make up for poor teaching." In other words, OAP is not a safety net that catches learners after good teaching has failed. It is the good teaching itself, applied with deliberate attention to individual needs.
Sensory circuits offer practical, affordable support. They use whole-class routines for sensory regulation and learning readiness. Learners do not need an EHCP or referrals.
| EEF Approach | What it means in OAP terms | Classroom example |
|---|---|---|
| Scaffolding | Temporary, structured support matched to where a learner is now, withdrawn as competence grows | Sentence starters for a Year 7 learner with language difficulties; word banks removed once the learner can generate vocabulary independently |
| Explicit Instruction | Breaking tasks into small steps, modelling thinking aloud, checking understanding before moving on | A Maths teacher narrates each step of long division before asking learners to attempt it; a TA does not prompt until the learner has had 30 seconds to try independently |
| Cognitive and Metacognitive Strategies | Teaching learners to plan, monitor, and evaluate their own thinking; reducing unnecessary cognitive load | A SENCO trains staff to use "think alouds" with learners who have working memory difficulties, narrating the steps before writing |
| Flexible Grouping | Grouping by current need rather than fixed ability; changing groups regularly to avoid labelling | A teacher groups three learners together for a guided reading session based on a shared decoding difficulty, not their general reading level |
| Using Technology | Assistive technology and digital tools that give access to the curriculum, not replace it | Text-to-speech software available to any learner who needs it; speech-to-text for learners whose ideas outrun their handwriting speed |
Scaffolding can boost learner progress by five months (EEF, 2020). Metacognitive strategies may add seven months (EEF, 2020). These approaches give you a strong, research-backed basis. Use them to include all learners in your teaching.
How Much Is Enough Before EHCNA?
This is the question SENCOs ask most frequently, and local authority guidance is frustratingly inconsistent. There is no statutory minimum number of APDR cycles before a request for an Education, Health and Care Needs Assessment. The legal test in section 36(8) of the Children and Families Act 2014 is simple. It asks whether the child "may have" SEN and whether it "may be necessary" to make a plan. Some authorities expect two full cycles; others accept one if the evidence is compelling. The key variable is not time, it is evidence quality.
Local authorities want APDR cycles in EHCNA requests. Targets, strategies, and outcomes must be clear. Show OAP application fidelity, not just records. Parent and carer involvement is vital. Learner views are essential. Existing professional involvement improves requests.
Devon's OAIP framework includes a clear statement that schools should "show the range and level of provision already being made". This should be "qualitative as well as quantitative". A provision map alone is not sufficient. You need to show what you tried, at what intensity, for how long, and what happened as a result.
| Evidence type | Sufficient for EHCNA? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Single APDR cycle with impact data | Sometimes | Only if evidence is urgent (safeguarding link, rapid deterioration, early years transition) |
| Two APDR cycles with impact data | Usually | Most LAs treat this as the baseline expectation |
| Provision map only (no impact data) | No | Describes what was done; does not show whether it worked |
| External professional report (EP, SALT) | Strengthens significantly | Not always required, but rare to succeed without one for complex needs |
| Parental and pupil voice records | Essential, not optional | Absence of these weakens any submission regardless of other evidence |
A common misconception is that two school terms of provision is a statutory requirement before EHCNA. It is not. The requirement is evidence of a sustained and documented graduated response, which often takes two terms, but the time itself is not the measure. Another misconception is that a diagnosis triggers an automatic right to an EHCP. It does not. A diagnosis may be part of the evidence, but the legal test remains whether a plan is "necessary."
The Graduated Approach in Practice
The graduated approach is the SEND Code of Practice's framework for how schools respond to emerging need. It is a four-stage cycle: Assess, Plan, Do, Review. At OAP level, this cycle operates within normal class teaching rather than as a separate SEN process. The class teacher leads it, with the SENCO advising. It is not additional to good teaching; it is how good teaching responds to individual need.
Here's an example: Amara, a Year 4 learner, struggles with reading. She receives the same lessons as others, but lags behind. Her teacher sees problems with phonics (phoneme-grapheme correspondence). Amara also loses her place when reading aloud.
Assess: The teacher uses the school's screening tool alongside observation notes from guided reading sessions. She speaks to Amara's parents, who mention that Amara also finds it hard to follow sequences of instructions at home. The SENCO reviews the picture and agrees it warrants a formal OAP response. There is no referral yet, no diagnosis sought, and no specialist involved.
Plan: The teacher sets two specific, measurable targets for the next six weeks. Amara will decode consonant clusters with 80% accuracy in isolation, and she will track text without losing her place using a reading ruler. The plan records extra strategies for whole-class and guided reading. It also notes what the teacher will do differently and what Amara's parents will do at home. Amara is involved in agreeing what help she wants.
Do: Over six weeks, the teacher applies the planned strategies consistently. She uses differentiation strategies, adjusts her grouping during guided reading, and ensures Amara has access to a reading ruler and large-print text when needed. She records brief observations twice a week. OAP operates within the classroom, so no withdrawal or additional adult support is introduced at this stage.
Review: At six weeks, the teacher and SENCO review impact against the targets. Amara has improved her decoding accuracy from 43% to 71%. She has not yet reached 80%. The cycle repeats: new targets are set, strategies are adjusted, parents are updated. This second cycle produces fresh evidence. After two cycles, Amara may have made insufficient progress despite consistent OAP. If so, the SENCO begins to consider whether SEN Support is needed, with its additional resources and formal provision map.
The graduated approach is not a linear sequence from OAP to EHCP. A learner may move between tiers in both directions. A learner on SEN Support who responds well to targeted intervention may return to OAP. The cycle is iterative, not a conveyor belt.
What Ofsted Expects Under the 2025 Framework
Ofsted's 2025 framework has a new "inclusion" area, separate from education quality. Previously, inclusion was part of personal development or leadership. Inspectors now evaluate support for vulnerable learners, including those with SEND. This is a key structural change.
What inspectors look for is "observable in practice, not just policy". A well-written SEND policy and a thorough provision map will not satisfy an Ofsted inspector. This is especially true if they observe teachers doing something different in classrooms. The inspection framework expects all teachers to understand the needs of SEND learners in their classes, not just the SENCO. It expects classroom observation of adaptive teaching. Learners with SEND should access the same ambitious curriculum as their peers, with adjustments that keep access rather than reduce content.
Under the new grading system (Expected, Strong, Exceptional), schools need OAP built into their whole-school teaching culture. Without this, they are unlikely to achieve Strong or Exceptional grades for inclusion. The 2026 White Paper goes further. From September 2026, all schools will have a statutory duty to produce an annual inclusion strategy. Ofsted will inspect this. This means OAP expectations will be publicly visible and formally evaluated at every inspection.
SENCOs, for inspection, gather a short evidence portfolio. Include three or four APDR case studies (anonymised) demonstrating the cycle. Summarise staff training on adaptive teaching. Provide formative assessment examples teachers use to identify needs. This work uses systems already present.
Building a Whole-School OAP Framework
OAP fails when it is understood only by the SENCO. It works when every teacher knows what it means for their classroom. They must know what to do without referral and when to seek SENCO advice. Building that shared understanding requires three things. These are: a clear audit of current provision, structured staff training, and a monitoring system that does not create unreasonable workload.
Audit: Start by mapping what your school currently provides against the four areas of need in the SEND Code of Practice. These are: Communication and Interaction, Cognition and Learning, Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH), and Sensory and/or Physical needs. For each area, ask three questions. What adjustments are available to all learners without referral? What strategies are teachers trained to use? What documentation currently captures this? Surrey's OAP guidance provides a detailed framework for this audit, organised by area of need and age phase.
Inconsistent practice hinders OAP implementation. Teachers use adaptive teaching if they understand it. SENCO training, using the EEF Five-a-Day, provides shared language. Observation and coaching training works better than presentations (EEF, 2020). Cognitive load theory helps staff teaching learners with difficulties.
Monitoring: A light-touch monitoring system asks class teachers to flag learners where OAP does not appear to be sufficient. This happens at half-termly SEND surgeries with the SENCO. The SENCO reviews patterns across year groups: are particular needs appearing frequently? Is a specific teaching strategy working less well than expected? Are referral rates clustered in certain classrooms, suggesting a training need rather than a learner need? A shared spreadsheet tracking the APDR cycle, updated each half-term, is sufficient for most schools. The SENCO annual calendar provides a useful template for timing these review points across the year.
The 2026 White Paper: What Changes and When
The Schools White Paper "Every Child Achieving and Thriving," published on 23 February 2026, represents the most significant change to the SEND system since the Children and Families Act 2014. Several of its provisions directly affect OAP expectations for all mainstream schools.
The Universal-Targeted-Specialist model structures existing three-tier support. It carries statutory weight nationally, so OAP expectations are consistent. The House of Commons Library (SN0720) notes a key SEND and AP Improvement Plan aim. The 2026 White Paper delivers "national standards for ordinarily available provision and SEN support".
National Inclusion Standards will require all schools to produce an annual inclusion strategy. This strategy must describe the school's OAP across all four areas of need. It must also explain how it is funded from the core budget, how staff are trained to deliver it, and how its impact is monitored. Schools that have not yet formalised their OAP framework have approximately six months to do so. Ofsted begins inspecting against these standards from September 2026.
The Inclusive Mainstream Fund (£1.6bn from 2026-27) goes straight to schools for early help without assessment. Schools get extra resources for OAP and SEN Support, even without EHCPs. Learners needing EHCPs can now access similar help via the fund. Digital ISPs replace informal SEN records, giving parents and professionals access. ISPs become SENCOs’ main OAP tool as EHCP annual reviews change (Edmonds 2023).
Frequently Asked Questions
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What does ordinarily available provision mean in schools?
Researchers have shown this provision is key. All English schools provide it. This includes good teaching and sensible changes (DfE, 2014). Teachers provide this without a diagnosis or more funds. It underpins all SEND support (Florian & Black-Hawkins, 2011; Norwich & Lewis, 2005). We consider other support later.
How do teachers provide ordinarily available provision in the classroom?
Teachers use evidence-based strategies such as task scaffolding (Vygotsky, 1978). Explicit instruction, flexible learner groups, and thinking aloud are other good choices (Rosenshine, 2012). Plan these adjustments in lessons, not as add-ons (Hattie, 2008).
What does the research say about ordinarily available provision?
The Education Endowment Foundation says good teaching helps learners with SEND most. Their framework has five key strategies matching regular support. These strategies are scaffolding, explicit instruction, and cognitive approaches, benefitting all learners (EEF, n.d.).
Do schools get extra funding for ordinarily available provision?
Schools do not receive additional funding to deliver this baseline of support. It is expected to be funded entirely from the core school budget. Additional funding is only considered when a learner requires highly individualised support through an Education, Health and Care Plan.
What happens if ordinarily available provision is not enough for a learner?
If a learner continues to struggle, the school will move them to targeted SEN Support. Teachers must document at least two cycles of the Assess, Plan, Do, Review process to show what has been tried. Local authorities require this evidence before they will consider a statutory assessment.
An OAP Self-Audit for Teachers and SENCOs
The checklist below is organised by the four areas of need from the SEND Code of Practice. Use it to identify where your school's OAP is secure and where gaps exist. Each item should be something any class teacher can deliver without specialist training or additional resources. Items that are not consistently in place represent whole-school training priorities, not individual learner referrals.
Visual timetables and routines exist in classrooms. Teachers give short instructions and check learners understand them. Learners can use voice notes, drawings, or dictation to record work. Vocabulary pre-teaching before new topics benefits some learners. Word banks and pictures support learning, no referral needed.
Learners receive tasks in clear steps with examples. Scaffolding reduces as learners gain skills. Lessons support working memory for everyone. Retrieval and review in lessons solidify learning. Maths offers manipulatives without stigma. Reading materials are at accessible levels (Hattie, 2012; Sweller, 1988; Rose & Meyer, 2002).
Researchers like Weare (2015) found calm classrooms help learners. Schools set clear rules and use restorative methods. Regular check-ins help identified learners. Staff teach learners to name feelings without judgement, as Bergin and Bergin (2009) noted. Schools communicate homework and transitions early, according to Humphrey (2013).
Consider seating for learners with visual or hearing needs. Use clear fonts (12pt minimum) and high contrast in printed materials. Provide movement breaks discreetly. Adapt PE and practical lessons for physical needs, avoiding withdrawal. All classrooms offer assistive technology, such as overlays and text-to-speech.
If your school can answer "yes" to every item on this list, your OAP is strong. If several items are amber or red, they represent professional development priorities. A SENCO who notices the same gap appearing across multiple classrooms has identified a training need. This is not a reason to add learners to the SEN register. The connection between whole-school teaching quality and quality-first teaching is not incidental: it is the entire premise of OAP.
Further Reading: Key Papers on Inclusive SEND Provision
They offer insights into meeting diverse learner needs. Research by Florian and Black-Hawkins (2011) and Hodkinson (2009) helps teachers include all learners. These studies and policy documents support effective mainstream teaching, as detailed by Ainscow (2020) and Farrell (2000).
Special Educational Needs in Mainstream Schools View guidance ↗
Policy guidance
Education Endowment Foundation (2020)
Research by EEF guidance shows teaching methods help learners with SEND in mainstream schools. Scaffolding, explicit instruction, and metacognitive strategies are key (EEF, 2023). Flexible grouping and technology use also benefit learners, linking to OAP goals (Slavin, 1990; Hattie, 2008; Black & Wiliam, 1998).
Developing Inclusive Teacher Capacity through Professional Learning View study ↗
Peer reviewed
Florian, L. and Linklater, H. (2010)
Professional development must shift teacher practice to be inclusive. Classroom observation and coaching, rather than one-off sessions, create lasting change. Schools should use these findings when planning professional development (Smith, 2023).
Metacognitive and Self-Regulated Learning Guidance Report View guidance ↗
Policy guidance
Education Endowment Foundation (2018)
The EEF metacognition review (+7 months) supports teaching cognitive strategies. Teachers can easily embed self-regulation skills in lessons (EEF, date). Guidance helps build these skills without extra resources (EEF, date).
Effective Inclusive Schools and the Role of Teacher Expertise View study ↗
Peer reviewed
Sharma, U. and Loreman, T. (2014)
Teacher efficacy consistently predicts SEND learner access to curriculum (research review). The review supports OAP's argument (date unspecified). Whole-school teacher development is more cost-effective than specialist withdrawal for SEND, the study argues.
Supporting SEND Learners: Evidence on High-Quality Teaching Adaptations View guidance ↗
Statutory guidance
Department for Education (2015, updated 2020)
The SEND Code of Practice remains the statutory foundation for all OAP decisions. Paragraphs 6.14 to 6.35 cover the school-age graduated response in detail, setting out what schools must do and what local authorities should expect as evidence before considering a statutory assessment.
This week, identify one area from the OAP checklist where your school's provision is inconsistent across classrooms. Bring it to the next staff briefing as a shared question rather than an individual critique. Ask: "What do we all do when a learner struggles with this?" The answers will show whether OAP is part of your school's culture. Or is it just limited to the SENCO's toolkit?
