An evaluation of support provision for learners with special educational needs and/or disabilities in mainstream further education

Executive Summary

Introduction

The Education and Training Inspectorate (ETI) was commissioned by the Department for the Economy (Department) to evaluate the effectiveness of learning support provision for learners with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEN/D) who are enrolled on mainstream programmes across Northern Ireland’s further education sector.

The key focus of the evaluation is on the extent to which learners with special educational needs and/or disabilities are enabled to access the full range of programmes, participate successfully, achieve qualifications and progress to the next stage of education, training or employment.

Evaluation overview

Additional support within mainstream college provision includes both targeted learning support and inclusive and adaptive teaching approaches delivered by lecturers.

Learners experience supportive and inclusive learning environments. They report positive and respectful relationships with staff, value the support they receive and feel well supported in their learning. Questionnaire responses indicate that almost all learners report that agreed support was in place and was helping them to make progress.

Teaching observed during the evaluation was well planned, responsive to individual learner need and characterised by inclusive and adaptive approaches which promoted engagement, confidence and participation. The colleges have established effective processes for identifying learner need, assessing support requirements and implementing learning support plans and reasonable adjustments. Learning support teams work closely and effectively with learners and curriculum staff and, where appropriate, with parents/carers. Available college data indicates strong retention rates, positive learner experiences and positive progression outcomes for learners receiving additional support.

Relevant learner outcome data is not collated or analysed consistently enough across colleges to support systematic monitoring or comparison of outcomes. The colleges also report operational pressures associated with school to college transition arrangements, examination access arrangements and the increasing complexity of learner need within mainstream provision.

Learners benefit significantly from the support provided. However, there are not yet sufficiently robust or consistent arrangements to collate and analyse learner outcome data to evaluate fully the overall impact of learning support provision or to benchmark outcomes across the sector. In the absence of sufficiently consistent outcome analysis, colleges and the Department have limited assurance regarding the overall impact of support provision and associated resource allocation.

Overall, the findings of the evaluation highlight the need for more systematic data collation and analysis, more effective transition arrangements and continued investment in staffing and professional development to ensure provision remains responsive, sustainable and impactful.

Next steps

The evaluation has identified the following as key next steps:

strengthen strategic oversight and learner outcome analysis, including clearer regional expectations, improved data collation and benchmarking of outcomes;
improve transition arrangements and information sharing to reduce duplication and support continuity of learning support;
develop more consistent approaches to learning support planning, progress tracking and evaluation of impact;
sustain and develop workforce capacity through continued investment in staffing and professional learning; and
identify and share effective inclusive practice to support greater consistency in learner experience and outcomes.

Main Report

Background information

Context

Further education occupies a distinctive place within the Northern Ireland vocational education and training system. It is often the first post-school setting in which young people with SEN/D participate as learners within mainstream vocational, academic or training programmes. For many learners, it represents progression from school into a more independent environment. While parents/carers can play an important role at transition, learners in mainstream further education typically engage more independently with learning support arrangements. Mainstream further education can also provide a valuable second opportunity for learners to re-engage with education in a setting that is inclusive, responsive and aligned to preferred vocational pathways and progression opportunities. When learners leave school, previous statutory SEN arrangements cease. Colleges are therefore required to identify learner need, determine support requirements and implement reasonable adjustments within a non-statutory framework. This creates both opportunities and challenges. Colleges can respond to learner need in a responsive manner; however, they often do so in the absence of sufficiently timely transfer of prior information, consistent external agency support or common sector-wide measures of outcomes.

The scale of mainstream learning support is significant. College data indicates that substantial numbers of learners receive structured support, curriculum support planning or examination access arrangements each year. Colleges report operational pressures associated with supporting learners presenting with a wide range of needs, including those requiring learning support, wellbeing interventions and examination access arrangements within mainstream provision. These issues reflect wider system-level challenges relating to data consistency, information‑sharing arrangements and assessment requirements across awarding organisations.

These pressures have implications for staffing, professional learning, resource allocation and the long-term sustainability of support arrangements.

Colleges receive Additional Support Fund (ASF) funding to support the additional costs associated with meeting the needs of learners with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Departmental guidance requires colleges to assess learner need, implement appropriate support arrangements and maintain accurate management information on learner need and support provided.

Legislative framework

Provision for learners with SEN/D in further education is governed by two key pieces of legislation. The Further Education (Northern Ireland) Order 1997 requires further education colleges (colleges) to have regard to the needs of learners with learning difficulties who are over compulsory school age. The Special Educational Needs and Disability (Northern Ireland) Order 2005 (SENDO) places a duty on colleges to make reasonable adjustments so that learners with disabilities are not placed at a disadvantage.

Evaluation methodology

The evaluation considered how effectively colleges identify learner need, deploy resources, plan support, monitor outcomes and adapt provision in response to variations in the volume and complexity of learner need. The evaluation report is structured in line with the key areas of the Terms of Reference, as detailed in Appendix 1.

The evaluation was also informed by ETI's wider inspection activity across the further education sector during the 2025/26 academic year, including engagement with all six further education colleges through the concurrent evaluation of discrete SEN/D provision. This wider engagement provided additional contextual understanding of sector-wide issues, including strategic vision, planning and oversight, transition arrangements and the use of learner outcome data. The findings and conclusions in this report, however, are based solely on the evidence gathered for this evaluation.

The evaluation included visits to a sample of three further education colleges during January and February 2026. Evidence was gathered through observation of learning and teaching; meetings with learners, parents/carers, college leaders, curriculum staff and learning support staff; review of learning support documentation; scrutiny of internal college data and quality improvement documentation; and analysis of confidential online questionnaire responses from learners (201).

Main Findings

1. Strategic vision, planning and oversight

Findings

All colleges visited demonstrate a clear commitment to providing inclusive learning environments for learners who have special educational needs and/or disabilities.
Senior leaders recognise the important role of further education in widening participation, promoting social inclusion and supporting progression.
Clear reporting structures are in place, and governing bodies receive regular reports on learning support provision.
Reporting is often operational in focus and relates mainly to the number of learners supported and those in receipt of examination access arrangements.
College development planning and quality improvement processes do not yet take sufficient account of trends in enrolment, retention, achievement, attendance, progression and destinations for learners with SEN/D.
There remains inconsistency in the nature and range of data held within college management information systems.
Colleges do not yet routinely collate and analyse outcomes for learners receiving additional support as a discrete group or benchmark these consistently against the outcomes of their peers in mainstream programmes.

Evaluation of findings

College leaders demonstrate a strong commitment to inclusion and learner support. Learning support teams are visible across the colleges visited and are highly valued by learners as an important aspect of the colleges’ wider pastoral and support arrangements.

Senior leaders and support managers demonstrate a clear awareness of the complexity of learner need and the operational pressures associated with supporting learners requiring learning support and examination access arrangements. Colleges report increasing complexity of learner need, particularly in relation to anxiety and social, emotional and mental health needs.

In response, colleges have adapted staffing structures, strengthened internal co‑ordination arrangements and expanded professional learning opportunities. While these operational responses are important, strategic oversight is constrained by variability in management information systems and the limited routine analysis of learner outcome data.

Although colleges maintain extensive operational information, the quality, accessibility and range of data varies across the colleges visited. In particular, there is insufficiently consistent analysis of retention, achievement, progression and destination outcomes for learners receiving support as a distinct cohort.

As a result, leaders are not yet well placed to evaluate the overall impact of support provision, identify trends over time or benchmark outcomes against other learner groups. This also limits the extent to which available evidence informs strategic planning, resource allocation and quality improvement processes.

In one of the colleges visited, more developed systems are emerging through the use of data dashboards, more structured self-evaluation processes and stronger links between learning support teams and quality improvement arrangements. While these developments are positive, they are not yet sufficiently embedded or consistent across the colleges.

Considerations for next steps

A more consistent regional approach should be developed for the collection, collation, analysis and reporting of learner outcomes, including retention, achievement, progression and destinations.

College development planning should make greater use of SEN/D data to inform staffing, curriculum planning and resource allocation.

Colleges should continue to strengthen quality improvement arrangements to ensure that learning support provision is evaluated more systematically and informs strategic planning and decision-making.

2. Assessment, support and retention

Findings

Individual learning plans are generally in place within a few weeks of enrolment following initial assessment.
Plans are learner-centred and include relevant information on need, support strategies and reasonable adjustments.
The quality and level of detail of plans varies across the colleges visited.
Retention rates provided by the colleges were strong, with examples including 88% and 91%.
Achievement rates for learners receiving support ranged from 60% to 80% in the data made available during the evaluation.
Positive progression data was evident, including one college reporting 96% positive progression in one year.
Tracking and monitoring of achievement is not consistently robust across all the colleges visited.

Evaluation of findings

Assessment and support processes are generally well established, and learners value the support provided. Colleges are often successful in supporting learners to remain on programme and achieve qualifications. Learners, and where appropriate parents/carers, spoke positively about the responsiveness of learning support teams and the willingness of staff to adapt support arrangements as needs changed during the academic year.

Initial assessment arrangements are effective in identifying support needs and informing planning for reasonable adjustments and ongoing provision. Colleges use a range of approaches to gather information on learner need, including liaison with schools, learner interviews, screening processes and review of available documentation. Support arrangements are implemented promptly and reviewed regularly.

Individual learning plans are widely used; however, the quality and level of detail varies too much. In the more effective practice, plans are informed by the learner’s views and identify clearly support needs, agreed strategies, review arrangements and specific actions. In less effective practice, plans are more descriptive than evaluative and do not support sufficiently well the monitoring of learner progress over time.

Colleges maintain a broad range of operational information relating to support provision; however, tracking and analysis of outcomes are not yet sufficiently consistent to support systematic monitoring or robust evaluation of impact. Colleges do not routinely analyse outcomes for learners receiving support or evaluate the impact of specific interventions in a systematic way.

Retention and progression data indicate positive outcomes for learners receiving support. However, inconsistencies in data systems and reporting arrangements limit the extent to which outcomes can be benchmarked, trends identified over time, or the effectiveness of support provision fully evaluated.

Considerations for next steps

Shared expectations for learning support plans and more robust tracking arrangements should be developed further across colleges.

Colleges should continue to strengthen approaches to monitoring learner progress and evaluating the impact of support interventions over time.

Greater consistency is needed in the collection, collation and analysis of learner outcome data to support quality improvement planning and strategic decision‑making.

3. Transition and information sharing

Findings

Colleges engage early with prospective learners and undertake initial needs assessments on enrolment.
Transition arrangements within the colleges visited are supportive and responsive.
There is no routine or sufficiently timely transfer of information from schools to colleges regarding previous support arrangements or examination access evidence.
Colleges are frequently required to repeat evidence gathering and reassessment processes.
Delays in information sharing can result in delays to support on commencement of programmes.
The number of learners requiring examination access arrangements places significant pressure on staff workload and resources.

Evaluation of findings

Transition arrangements within the colleges are supportive and responsive, and learners generally settle quickly into college life. Learners, and where appropriate parents/carers, spoke positively about the reassurance, communication and practical guidance provided by learning support teams.

Staff described extensive engagement with schools, learners and families prior to enrolment. Activities include open days, individual meetings, liaison with feeder schools and opportunities for learners to visit campuses and meet staff in advance. These arrangements support continuity and help learners become familiar with the college environment.

However, wider system arrangements continue to create delay, duplication and inconsistency. Information relating to learner needs, previous support arrangements and examination access evidence is not transferred in a sufficiently timely or consistent manner, and there are no standardised requirements across awarding organisations.

As a result, colleges are often required to repeat evidence gathering and reassessment processes already completed in schools. This places significant pressure on learning support teams, particularly in relation to examination access arrangements, where processes are resource-intensive and time-sensitive, and can delay the implementation of support at the start of programmes.

While local arrangements have been developed to support transition, approaches vary and remain dependent on local relationships and communication. There is currently no sufficiently co-ordinated regional approach to information sharing or transition planning for learners requiring support within mainstream further education.

Considerations for next steps

A more collaborative and co-ordinated approach to transition planning and information sharing should be developed across relevant agencies.

Existing evidence relating to support needs and access arrangements should transfer more efficiently, subject to appropriate safeguards.

Consideration should be given to developing clearer regional expectations regarding transition planning, information sharing and the continuity of support arrangements for learners progressing from school into further education.

4. Teaching, learning and support

Findings

Teaching observed during the evaluation was well planned, appropriately paced and responsive to individual learner need.
Inclusive and adaptive approaches encouraged learner engagement and provided meaningful learning contexts.
Lecturers were aware of learners’ support plans and made effective use of recommended strategies.
Positive relationships between staff and learners supported academic and personal development.
Learners at risk of disengagement were identified early and benefited from academic and wellbeing interventions.
Learners with special educational needs and/or disabilities were integrated fully within the learning environment.
Learners, and where appropriate parents/carers, were positive about the quality of support provided.

Evaluation of findings

Teaching, learning and direct learner support represent significant strengths of provision across the colleges visited. Classrooms were calm, purposeful and respectful, and relationships between staff and learners were consistently positive. Staff demonstrated professionalism and a strong understanding of learner need.

Support within mainstream provision includes both targeted learning support and inclusive teaching approaches delivered by lecturers. Teaching was responsive, with staff adapting learning activities, resources and support arrangements appropriately to meet individual needs. These approaches enable learners to engage fully and access programme requirements successfully.

In the more effective practice observed, learners were encouraged to participate actively, develop confidence and work with increasing independence. Learning support staff and lecturers worked collaboratively to maintain engagement and support progression.

Learners, and where appropriate parents/carers, spoke positively about the quality of support provided, highlighting approachable staff, timely interventions and supportive learning environments.

Support often extends beyond academic adjustments to include mentoring, wellbeing interventions and practical assistance. Colleges described a range of approaches to supporting learners at risk of disengagement, including targeted pastoral support, regular review meetings and close liaison between curriculum and learning support staff.

Examples of effective practice include dedicated support spaces, strong relationships between learners and staff, flexible support arrangements and inclusive environments which promote confidence and participation. These contribute positively to attendance, retention and learner wellbeing.

Considerations for next steps

Colleges should continue to disseminate the most effective inclusive teaching approaches and support interventions across curriculum areas.

Further opportunities should be provided for staff to share effective practice in supporting learners with increasingly diverse and complex needs.

Colleges should continue to strengthen collaborative working between curriculum and learning support teams to ensure that support arrangements remain responsive to learner need throughout programmes.

5. Continued professional development

Findings

Staff professional learning is a high priority across the colleges visited.
Professional learning programmes are aligned to the needs of learners.
Autism-related professional learning is common, reflecting identified learner need.
Colleges provide professional learning in areas including mental health, neurodiversity, behaviour management and reasonable adjustments.
Challenges remain in ensuring equitable access to professional learning for part-time staff and in managing increasing professional learning costs.

Evaluation of findings

Colleges place a strong emphasis on developing staff confidence and expertise in supporting learners with SEN/D within mainstream provision. Professional learning arrangements are responsive to the profile of learner need and are recognised by staff as an important aspect of inclusive practice.

Staff have access to a broad range of professional learning opportunities, including autism, neurodiversity, mental health, behaviour management, trauma-informed practice and the implementation of reasonable adjustments. In the more effective practice, colleges have developed internal specialist expertise to support curriculum staff and provide advice on inclusive and adaptive approaches.

In the strongest practice, professional learning is linked clearly to identified learner needs and wider quality improvement priorities.

However, challenges remain in ensuring equitable access to professional learning for all staff groups, particularly part-time lecturers and learning support staff. Colleges also reported financial and staffing pressures associated with sustaining high-quality provision while responding to the increasing complexity of learner need.

The expectation that mainstream lecturers respond confidently to a wide range of needs continues to be a key feature of provision. Sustaining inclusive practice will require continued investment in professional learning and opportunities to share effective practice.

Considerations for next steps

Colleges should continue to review professional learning priorities in response to learner needs and emerging areas of practice.

Further opportunities should be provided for staff to share effective inclusive practice across curriculum and learning support teams.

Consideration should be given to how professional learning opportunities can be made more accessible for part-time staff and other groups who may experience barriers to participation.

6. Inclusion, accessibility and reasonable adjustments

Findings

Co-ordinated systems are in place to ensure compliance with SEN/D and health and safety legislation.
Colleges provide a range of reasonable adjustments, including assistive technology, quiet spaces, accessible facilities and specialist equipment.
Learning support teams work effectively with estates and other services to respond to learner need.
Examples of effective inclusive practice were evident, including library provision and dedicated support spaces.

Evaluation of findings

Accessibility and reasonable adjustments are strong features of provision across the colleges visited. Colleges are responsive in adapting environments, equipment and support arrangements to enable learners to participate fully in college life and access learning alongside their peers.

A broad range of adjustments was evident during the evaluation, including assistive technology, adapted learning materials, quiet spaces, accessible facilities and specialist equipment. Learners reported positively on the availability of support and described staff as approachable and responsive when additional assistance was required.

Learning support teams work effectively with curriculum staff, estates teams and other services to address practical barriers to participation and respond flexibly to learner need. In the more effective practice observed, colleges had developed dedicated support spaces and inclusive environments which support learners in developing confidence and independence.

More effective practice extends beyond compliance-focused adjustments and reflects a broader culture of inclusion, in which learners are supported to participate confidently in college life.

However, maintaining accessible environments and responding to a wide range of learner needs requires ongoing investment in resources, facilities and staffing capacity.

Considerations for next steps

Colleges should continue to review accessibility arrangements and reasonable adjustments to ensure that support remains responsive to learner needs.

Further opportunities should be provided to share effective inclusive practice, including approaches to supporting learner participation and independence within mainstream provision.

7. Child protection and adult safeguarding

At the time of the evaluation, the evidence provided by all the colleges demonstrated that the arrangements for child protection and adult safeguarding aligned to the current statutory guidance.

8. Examples of effective practice

The evaluation identified a number of examples of effective practice across the colleges visited. These illustrate approaches which support learner participation, engagement, wellbeing and progression within mainstream further education provision.

Example 1: Inclusive library environment

In one college, the library plays a central role in supporting learners with a range of additional needs. Learners described the space as somewhere they could work independently without becoming overwhelmed, particularly during unstructured parts of the day. Learners also described the space as an important part of their wider support experience within the college.

The layout includes quiet areas, supported study spaces and access to assistive technology, allowing learners to select the type of environment that best suits their needs. Inspectors observed learners moving confidently between areas and using resources, including assistive technology, without prompting.

Staff working in the space demonstrated a strong understanding of individual learner needs and intervened appropriately, providing support when required without disrupting learner independence.

The availability of different working environments, alongside responsive staff support, helps to reduce barriers to learning. As a result, learners remain engaged in their work and develop greater confidence in managing their own learning.

Example 2: Initial needs assessment and support planning

Initial needs assessment arrangements across the colleges visited support early identification of learner needs through engagement with learners, parents/carers and, where available, information from external professionals. Assessment activity focuses on prior support arrangements, learning needs and examination access requirements and informs early support planning.

Inspectors reviewed assessment documentation and observed meetings with learners and parents/carers. Parents spoke positively about communication with staff and their involvement in the process. The information gathered supported staff in developing an early understanding of learner needs.

The effectiveness of this practice lies in the emphasis on early engagement and the use of a broad range of information to inform decision-making. As a result, learners are more likely to have appropriate support arrangements in place at the beginning of their programme, supporting transition and engagement.

Example 3: Use of individual learning plans in teaching

Individual learning plans (ILPs) are used across the colleges visited to support teaching and learning. Plans include information on learner needs, agreed strategies and reasonable adjustments and are accessible to teaching staff.

Lecturers described how ILPs are used to inform lesson planning and adapt teaching approaches. Inspectors observed staff adjusting learning activities, materials and classroom interactions in line with the strategies recorded in ILPs. Staff demonstrated familiarity with learner needs and applied agreed approaches consistently.

The integration of ILPs into classroom practice supports a more consistent response to learner need across subjects. Consequently, learners are better able to participate in lessons and access learning activities with confidence.

Example 4: Co-ordinated support for learners at risk of disengagement

Colleges use a range of approaches to identify learners who may be at risk of disengagement, drawing on information such as attendance, learner wellbeing and progress. Where concerns are identified, staff across curriculum, learning support and wellbeing teams work together to respond.

Inspectors observed evidence of collaboration between teams, with staff describing how concerns were shared and acted upon. Support included mentoring, pastoral support and adjustments to learning arrangements where appropriate.

The effectiveness of this approach lies in clear communication between staff and the responsiveness of the support provided. Addressing concerns early helps to prevent disengagement and supports learners to remain on programme.

Example 5: Supporting learner independence

Support arrangements across the colleges are kept under review and adjusted in response to learner progress. For some learners, this involves changes to the level or type of support as confidence and independence increase over time.

Learners described how they required less direct support as they became more familiar with learning expectations and college routines. Staff described adapting support arrangements flexibly in response to individual progress.

This approach supports learners to build confidence and develop greater independence in managing their learning. As a result, learners are better prepared for progression to the next stage of education, training or employment.

Conclusion

The further education sector in Northern Ireland provides supportive, inclusive and effective learning environments for learners in mainstream provision who require additional learning support. Teaching, learning support and learner experience are notable strengths across the colleges visited. Learners, and where appropriate parents/carers, spoke positively about the quality of support provided and highlighted the importance of respectful relationships, responsive staff and inclusive learning environments.

Learners benefit from timely support interventions, inclusive and adaptive teaching approaches and co-ordinated support arrangements which enable them to remain on programme, achieve qualifications and progress to further learning, training or employment. Colleges have developed a range of approaches to supporting learners with a wide range of needs and demonstrate a strong commitment to widening participation and promoting inclusion within mainstream provision.

However, the overall effectiveness of provision is constrained by inconsistency in the collation and analysis of data, variation in aspects of support processes and operational pressures associated with transition arrangements and examination access arrangements. While systems and processes are in place, they are not yet applied consistently enough to ensure a sufficiently consistent experience for all learners or to evaluate fully the overall impact of learning support provision.

In particular, the absence of sufficiently consistent arrangements for analysing learner outcomes limits colleges’ ability to evaluate impact systematically, identify trends over time and benchmark outcomes for learners receiving support.

Colleges continue to experience pressures associated with reassessment processes, increasing demand for learning support and examination access arrangements, and the growing complexity of learner need, particularly in relation to anxiety and social, emotional and mental health needs.

Going forward, improvement will require more systematic collation and analysis of learner outcome data, more co-ordinated transition arrangements and continued investment in staffing capacity and professional learning. Greater regional consistency in these areas would provide a stronger evidence base to support quality improvement planning, strategic decision-making and the evaluation of provision over time.

Next steps

strengthen strategic oversight and learner outcome analysis, including clearer regional expectations, improved data collation and benchmarking of outcomes;
improve transition arrangements and information sharing to reduce duplication and support continuity of learning support;
develop more consistent approaches to learning support planning, progress tracking and evaluation of impact;
sustain and develop workforce capacity through continued investment in staffing and professional learning; and
identify and share effective inclusive practice to support greater consistency in learner experience and outcomes.

Appendix 1: Terms of Reference

Evaluation of learning support provision for learners with SEN/D in mainstream further education in Northern Ireland

Key objectives

The key objectives of the evaluation were to determine the extent to which learning support provision in mainstream further education is:

accessible to learners with special educational needs and/or disabilities transitioning from school provision, and supported by timely information and guidance processes;
responsive, flexible and adaptive in meeting the individual needs of learners through appropriate learning support, reasonable adjustments and inclusive learning environments; and
enabling learners to participate successfully, achieve qualifications and progress to further education, training or employment.

Key areas of evaluation

1. Strategic vision and oversight

The extent to which college leaders and managers review, evaluate and adapt learning support provision to meet the changing and increasingly complex needs of learners.
The extent to which learning support provision is reflected in college development planning processes, including the use of learner outcome data to inform quality improvement and strategic planning.

2. Transition and information sharing

The extent to which transition arrangements support learners moving from school into mainstream further education provision.
The effectiveness of information-sharing arrangements between schools, colleges and other stakeholders to support continuity of support and timely implementation of reasonable adjustments.

3. Assessment, support and retention

The extent and timeliness with which learners’ needs are identified, assessed and supported through individual learning plans and reasonable adjustments.
The effectiveness of arrangements for monitoring learner progress, achievement, retention and progression.

4. Teaching, learning and support

The extent to which learning, teaching and support successfully meet the varied needs of learners and promote participation, achievement and progression.
The extent to which inclusive teaching approaches and support arrangements enable learners to participate confidently and independently.

5. Continued professional development

The extent to which professional learning supports staff in responding effectively to increasingly diverse and complex learner needs.
The effectiveness of arrangements for sharing inclusive practice across curriculum and support teams.

6. Inclusion, accessibility and reasonable adjustments

The effectiveness of arrangements to ensure accessibility, reasonable adjustments and inclusive learning environments.
The extent to which support arrangements enable learners to participate fully in college life and learning.

7. Child protection and adult safeguarding

The effectiveness of arrangements for child protection and adult safeguarding.

8. Highly effective practice

The identification of areas of effective practice for dissemination.

Appendix 2: Quantitative Terms

In this report, proportions may be described as percentages, common fractions and in more general quantitative terms. Where more general terms are used, they should be interpreted as follows:

Almost/nearly all - more than 90%

Most - 75% - 90%

A majority - 50% - 74%

A significant minority - 30% - 49%

A minority - 10% - 29%

Very few/a small number - less than 10%