Helping Primary schools and families understand why children struggle to learn since 1994
How the Primary Needs Assessment Works
From your first conversation to a personalised educational roadmap,
every step is designed to uncover why a child is struggling to learn and provide clear evidence of what to teach next.
Before We Begin
✔ Carried out personally by Jo Packard - never outsourced.
✔ Conducted face-to-face - not online or computer-generated.
✔ Tailored to your child - shaped by parent and school questionnaires before the assessment begins.
✔ Focused on individual educational needs, not medical diagnosis - identifying the missed learning and the priority teaching needed next.
" Problems are not stop signs; they are guidelines."
R. H. Schuller
01
The Initial Conversation
We begin with a conversation about the child's learning, current concerns and any support already in place. Drawing on my educational knowledge and specialist assessment expertise, I'll advise whether a Primary Needs Assessment is the right next step.
This conversation often identifies important priorities before the assessment even begins.
02
Parent & School Questionnaires
Before meeting the child, I gather information from both home and school to build a complete picture of their learning. Each questionnaire provides different but equally important evidence, ensuring the assessment is informed by both the child's lived experiences and their educational progress. This approach also supports the SEND Code of Practice requirement for "Parent and Pupil Voice."
The questionnaires serve different purposes:
Family/Carer Questionnaire Explores the child's developmental history, early milestones, health, home experiences and any factors that may have influenced their learning. It also gives parents and carers the opportunity to share how they feel the child is progressing, how they experience learning at home, and any concerns that may not always be visible in school.
School Questionnaire Provides an educational perspective, including the child's academic attainment in relation to their peers, classroom performance, current interventions or additional support, and how effectively these are helping them to make progress.
Confidentiality Both questionnaires are treated as strictly confidential and are used solely to inform the assessment and final report. Personal information is never disclosed unnecessarily and is only referenced where it is relevant to understanding and supporting the child's learning.
Together, these two perspectives create a balanced, personalised foundation for the assessment - helping to identify not only where a child is struggling, but why.
Note: both questionnaires are essential to ensure the assessment is accurate, informed, balanced and evidence-based.
03
The 2-Hour Specialist Assessment
A specialist, one-to-one educational assessment designed to identify the underlying learning barriers affecting progress. Unlike a computerised screening, every assessment is personalised, holistic and is tailored with over 30 years of classroom and specialist SEND experience.
The assessment includes:
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Core Attainment: Literacy and Numeracy.
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Cognitive Processing: Memory, sequencing, and processing speed.
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Functional Learning Skills: Focus, motor control and endurance.
04
The Child's Personalised Learning Roadmap
Within 14 days, you'll receive the child's personalised Primary Needs Assessment Report, explaining why learning has become difficult and, more importantly, exactly what to do next.
The Report includes:
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The Evidence Report: A detailed educational report explaining the barriers to learning, supported by clear evidence suitable for schools and professional discussions.
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The Learning Roadmap: A four-page working document with practical, prioritised learning targets that SENCOS, teachers, parents and support staff can begin using immediately.