What are SMART targets?

Termly PEP targets should be thought of as smaller steps to support the child or young person to achieve longer term targets and secure academic progress. Consider what the initial goal is for the child or young person and then work your way through the questions below to form a SMART target.

Specific 

Is this specific to the child or young person and their needs? What specific skills or knowledge need to be acquired within the curriculum or targeted area? Who needs to be included? Why is this a goal?

Measurable 

How can you measure progress towards this target? How are you going to be able to demonstrate success?

Achievable 

Does the child or young person have the skills required to achieve the goal? If not, how can they be supported? What is the motivation for achieving this goal? Is the amount of effort required for the child or young person in proportion to what the goal will achieve?

Realistic 

Will the child or young person be able to achieve this goal? Will they be able to celebrate a success by their next PEP meeting?

Time-bound 

What is the deadline and is it realistic? Will this target be achieved in time for the next PEP meeting?

Example Smart Targets

Early Years SMART Targets

• We want the child to know their colours - I will be observed on 4 out of 5 occasions to successfully sort the primary colours, red, blue and yellow, into the correct boxes during a two week period.
• We want the child to be potty trained – With the support of my key worker I will use the potty, flush and wash my hands on 2 out of 3 occasions. 
• We want the child to not hit other children – I will develop positive peer relationships whilst sharing by using kind hands and feet on 2 out of 3 occasions during each nursery session.

Primary SMART Targets 

• We want the child to be more confident in lessons and access the tasks set but this is being impeded by early experiences - X will continue to need access to art therapy when we return to school Sept 2020, to help them to be able to understand and articulate their feelings about their early life experiences. This will be measured by an increase in task completion in lessons where currently no tasks are completed due to anxiety being a barrier.

Secondary SMART Targets

• We want the young person to become more confident in Maths – I will develop my skill set in Geometry and Measures and I will be able to apply the formula for finding the are of a triangle when I am given the perpendicular height and base. I will score 40% in my November Shape homework.
• We want the young person to focus and improve in English – I will improve my ability to discuss Shakespeare’s work by revising the key theme of love in Twelfth Night. I will do this by revising using GCSE Pod and working with my English mentor. I will be able to write about why Viola keeps her love for Orsino secret and memorise two quotations to show this. I will demonstrate success by achieving a grade 5 in my English mock exam in November.
• We want the young person to not lose their temper - To begin to recognise feelings of restlessness, frustration or anger and take yourself away from the situation by accessing the regulation station 50% of the time by April 2022, and 60% of the time by June 2022. Supported by the funded 1:1 teaching assistant.
• We want the young person to have no further exclusions – To access the Student Centre during breaktime every day and share a positive from the previous day with your mentor. To identify three successes every week with your mentor during your Friday mentor session.

Post-16 SMART Targets

• We want the young person to complete their BTEC Unit 10 assignment – To complete the Unit 10 Health and Social Care assignment I need to write up my observations from the work placement at the nursery to demonstrate that I know what is meant by ‘person-centred’ or ‘child-centred’ practice. This will be submitted by 31 October. 
• We want the young person to pass their GCSE Maths resit – To prepare for the GCSE Maths resit on 25 May I need to be able to calculate a percentage discount using monetary values and revise fractions and percentages. I will use BBC Skillswise tasks as well as continue to attend extracurricular Maths support sessions this term. 
• We want the young person to improve their attendance – This term I will be on time to 90% of my lessons.

SEND SMART Targets

• We want the child to improve their concentration - X will be encouraged to persevere with an adult led task for 10 minutes, using a now and next board and a digital timer. He will be encouraged to move cards to demonstrate when sections of the task have been completed and to regularly check the timer for progress. X will be rewarded if still engaged and focus has been maintained when the timer bleeps.
• We want the child to use a specific programme to support their learning in Maths - X will be able to access the MathsWatch resources independently and increase their Maths grade. They will access the resources on the website and will use the in-built assessment tools to monitor progress. A weekly 1:1 session with a TA will monitor use of the software and oversee the assessment data. X’s carer has bought a tablet and the school have agreed to provide the software.
• We want the child to be able to express their thoughts verbally – When the teacher is going to ask the class to think, pair, share their ideas, X will be partnered with a teaching assistant who will be given a visual clue that the teacher is about to use the technique. The TA will then take X outside of the classroom and have the discussion in a quiet area. This could eventually be developed so that a peer joins them outside of the classroom and the TA facilitates the discussion.