SEND & school

Reduced timetable & school access toolkit.

A reduced timetable should not quietly become the child's normal education. This tool helps you pin down why it exists, what support sits around it and how full-time access is being worked towards.

FreePrintableReviewed 7 September 2026

Download the Reduced Timetable Tracker (PDF)

A4 printable worksheet. The PDF is a practical working tool; keep this web page for guidance and source links.

Current DfE position: pupils of compulsory school age are entitled to full-time education. A temporary part-time timetable may be used only in very exceptional circumstances where it is in the pupil's best interests to meet individual needs; it should be for the shortest time necessary, with a plan to return to full-time education, and should not be used to manage behaviour.

Use this as a working tool, not a legal verdict.

The questions below help you organise information and spot issues to check. A checklist cannot decide whether an organisation has acted unlawfully or whether an appeal will succeed.

1. Baseline 2. Questions for school 3. Support around it 4. Reintegration 5. Evidence log 6. Red flags to check

September 2026 safeguarding check:

Revised statutory safeguarding guidance now expressly highlights pupils with SEND and pupils on part-time timetables or at risk of exclusion. Alongside the education plan, record any safeguarding concern, whether the child has an accessible way to report what is happening, and any designated safeguarding lead (DSL) / special educational needs coordinator (SENCO) response.

1. Establish the baseline

Date reduced timetable started
Current hours / sessions
Reason given by school
Who agreed it?
Written plan?
Next review date
Target / plan for full-time return
EHCP / SEN Support / medical plan

2. Questions to ask

Why this timetable?

What individual need is the reduced timetable intended to meet?
Why is this considered in the child's best interests?
What alternatives were considered?
Is behaviour being used as the reason rather than an unmet need being assessed?

What education is actually available?

Which lessons / provision are being missed?
What education is provided during the missed sessions, if any?
How is progress being monitored?
How are SEND needs being supported during the reduced hours?

3. What sits around the timetable?

Barrier / need	Adjustment or support	Who delivers it?	Frequency	Evidence it is working	Change needed

4. Reintegration plan

What must change for hours to increase?

Review date	Current hours	What has improved / worsened?	Support change	Next increase / step

5. Keep a school-access evidence log

Date	Hours offered / attended	Barrier / incident	Support available	What happened?	Evidence ref

6. Things worth checking

No review dateTemporary arrangements need active review rather than drifting indefinitely.

No full-time planAsk what the route back to full-time education actually is.

Used to manage behaviourDfE guidance says a part-time timetable should not be used to manage behaviour.

Pressure to agreeRecord exactly what was proposed and whether genuine agreement was sought.

EHCP / SEND mismatchCheck whether provision in the plan or SEN support is actually being delivered during the reduced timetable.

Child simply sent homeCheck whether formal suspension procedures should instead have been used.

Sources & review

Last reviewed: 7 September 2026. This resource is practical information for England, not legal or clinical advice. Check the linked source if your situation turns on a deadline, appeal right or legal interpretation.

DfE — Working together to improve school attendance (updated 9 July 2026)Ofsted — School inspection operating guide from September 2026 DfE/DHSC — SEND Code of Practice: 0 to 25 years

Use this with

Keep the evidence connected to the next action.