SEN support

One-page profiles for pupils with SEND: what to include, with examples

A short, person-centred summary every adult can read in a minute: the three headings, worked examples, and common mistakes.

Reading time: 2 min read
Last reviewed: 10 October 2026

What a one-page profile is for

A one-page profile (sometimes called a pupil passport) is a short summary of a pupil, written with them, that any adult can read in a minute before working with them. It does not replace the plan; it is the part of the plan that a supply teacher, lunchtime supervisor or new teaching assistant will actually read.

It puts into practice a principle that runs through the SEND framework: local authorities must have regard to the views, wishes and feelings of the child and their parents, and their participation in decisions (Children and Families Act 2014, section 19), and the Code of Practice expects schools to involve pupils and parents in planning and review (Code of Practice, chapters 1 and 6).

The three headings

Heading	What goes here	Example
What people like and admire about me	Strengths and qualities, in words the pupil recognises	I am kind to younger children. I know everything about trains.
What is important to me	What matters to the pupil now, from their point of view	Knowing what is happening next. Sitting near the door. Seeing my brother at lunch.
How best to support me	Specific, practical things adults should do or avoid	Give me a five-minute warning before a change. Write instructions down. Do not ask me to read aloud without warning.

Getting the pupil’s own voice

Ask in the way the pupil communicates best: talking while doing something, choosing from pictures or symbols, drawing, or a trusted adult who knows them well.
Write what they say in their words, in the first person, and keep it even if it is not how an adult would put it.
Ask parents what they would add, and say whose view is whose.
Date it, and review it at least every term; preferences change faster than needs do.

Common mistakes

Writing it about the pupil rather than with them: a list of diagnoses is not a profile.
Vague support statements such as “needs reassurance”. Say what reassurance looks like for this pupil.
Letting it go stale: an out-of-date profile is worse than none, because adults act on it.
Keeping it somewhere staff cannot find it at the moment they need it.

Where it fits

The one-page profile is the front page of the pupil’s support plan, and the same headings appear in the proposed Individual Support Plans. It also feeds Section A of an EHC plan, which records the child’s views, interests and aspirations. In Sendiphany the support plan opens with these three headings, they print as a one-page profile in the Word export, and parents can see the current version through the parent portal when the school shares it.

Sources

Last reviewed 10 October 2026. This guide summarises legislation and guidance for school staff in England. It is not legal advice; check the current text of the regulations before relying on a date in correspondence.