Whole-school factors: the line most people need is policies and routines, reviewed alongside. In practice, a child's need sometimes describes the setting more than the child.

What SEMH covers in one line: social, emotional and mental health as one of the four broad areas of need. Beyond the number, it replaced the older BESD label in the 2015 Code of Practice.

Treat it as a starting point; specifics change with the house, the school or the kitchen.

That is a general note rather than a rule; check the current details before you rely on it.

Keep the paperwork; it is the proof when something is queried later. In short, Whole-school factors is worth a minute before you commit.

Write down what you find before you decide anything; it makes the next step obvious. Knowing this about What SEMH covers prevents most mistakes.

Triggers and functions

Frequency and intensity

A short note on Triggers and functions. The figure to hold onto is what happens before and after a behaviour; what matters is that the function (escape, attention, sensory, tangible) points to the support.

Frequency and intensity: the line most people need is recorded on a simple chart, over two to three weeks. In practice, a baseline makes any change after support visible.

The primary source has the final word, and it is worth a minute to check it.

Treat it as a starting point; specifics change with the house, the school or the kitchen.

If something changes, note the date; patterns only show up with dates on them. That is the whole of Triggers and functions for most readers.

Keep the paperwork; it is the proof when something is queried later. In short, Frequency and intensity is worth a minute before you commit.

If you are looking into Adverse experiences, start here: noted, not diagnosed, by the school. The point is that the school's job is to adjust the environment, not to treat.

A short note on Who assesses. The figure to hold onto is the class teacher first with the SENCO; what matters is that external specialists come in when the school's own graduated approach has not worked.

That is a general note rather than a rule; check the current details before you rely on it.

The primary source has the final word, and it is worth a minute to check it.

When in doubt, choose the simpler option first; it is the one least likely to need undoing. Knowing this about Adverse experiences prevents most mistakes.

If something changes, note the date; patterns only show up with dates on them. That is the whole of Who assesses for most readers.

Figures are general guidance; the primary source takes precedence.

Figures are general guidance; the primary source takes precedence.

This note is part of the SEMH Assessment notes desk, a set of short factual pages used to study how search engines read pages.

This note is part of the SEMH Assessment notes desk, a set of short factual pages used to study how search engines read pages.