Strengthening planning for students: Key templates
Learning and support planning
Learning and support planning is completed to support students with any additional needs. This includes students in out-of-home-care, high potential and gifted students, inclusive education for students with disability, individual behaviour support, students from a refugee background, newly arrived EAL/D learners, students with attendance plans and students with part-day exemption transition plans.
Not all students with additional supports needs may require a LSP. When a documented plan is needed use of the template is highly recommended
Health support planning
Health support planning for health conditions which include actions required for health support such as administration of medication (during school hours), staff trained to provide health support, emergency care/response plan and /or relevant medical plans (as provided by the treating medical team).
Health support planning and the use of the health support plan are mandatory for all students:
- diagnosed with a condition that may require an emergency response.
- requiring health support, including administering medication
- with severe asthma, Type 1 diabetes, epilepsy and anaphylaxis.
Parents and carers can advise their child's school of their child's health condition/s by completing a Request form - Student health support.
Personalised Learning Pathways
Personalised Learning Pathways (PLPs) were a key recommendation of the 2004 Aboriginal Education Review, and were developed in genuine partnership and collaboration between the NSW Department of Education and the NSW Aboriginal Education Consultative Group Incorporated (NSW AECG). PLPs are a collaborative, strengths based planning process that supports Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander students to identify their strengths, aspirations and learning goals.
The PLP guidance includes practical tools and an optional PLP template located at the end of the document.
Personalised Learning Pathways are mandatory in Connected Community schools and highly recommended in all schools.
Planning guide
Student planning guide
Goal-oriented and strength-based planning
Consulting and collaborating with the student and their support network must underpin every stage of the planning.
01 Consult and Collaborate
- Consult with the student
- Consult with the parents/carers/kinship carers
- Ensure meetings take place in culturally inclusive spaces
- Collate measurable information
- Consider strategies and adjustments for individual students in teachers’ planning and programming or individual plan
- Determine what level of planning the student needs, and how it will be evidenced
- Liaise with current/previous school staff and other stakeholders
02 Identify and Assess
- Review any existing information and
previous planning to help build new plan - Gather information for learning and support: where is the student now, where they could be – goals, aspirations and needs
- Identify planning priorities
- Confirm if student need is due to a disability
- Obtain documentation from treating team, for health planning
- Identify strengths and barriers for the student
03 Develop and Resource
- Set strength based and aspirational goals as needed
- Identify reasonable adjustments/inclusive needs
- Engage the student and key stakeholders in goal-setting and adjustments
- Consider/embed strategies to ensure cultural inclusivity
- Ensure compliance with policies, procedures and guidelines
- Engage external allied health/other professionals, as required
- Include support strategies considering what previously has or has not worked
- Identify roles and responsibilities
04 Implement and Monitor
- Implement the strategies and adjustments recorded in teachers’ planning and
programming or individual plan, in consultation with students and their support network - Consistent implementation by all staff
- Monitor goals and track progress of the current plan
- Adjust the plan for the student as needed
05 Review
- Implement the strategies and adjustments recorded in teachers’ planning and
programming or individual plan, in consultation with students and their support network - Consistent implementation by all staff
- Monitor goals and track progress of the current plan
- Adjust the plan for the student as needed
Additional resources for school staff
Strengthening planning for students (staff-only support resources)
Last modified date
24/04/2026
Business unit contact email
Executive director
Laura Milkins
Executive director’s business unit
Teaching Learning&Student Wellbeing