NSW ILP Goal Bank: SMART Learning Goals Across Key Areas

The most common failure in NSW Individual Learning Plans isn't missing sections — it's vague goals. "James will improve his reading" is not a goal; it's a hope. "Sarah will behave more appropriately in class" is not measurable. These placeholders get written into ILPs, signed off, and then reviewed six months later with no way to determine whether the school met its obligations.

This goal bank gives you language you can bring to the ILP meeting — goals that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound (SMART) — written in line with NSW curriculum frameworks and the Department of Education's own personalised learning and support guidelines.

Use these as starting points. The specific numbers (percentage accuracy, time periods, frequency counts) should be calibrated to your child's current baseline — ideally using the school's own assessment data.

Why Goal Quality Matters Under NSW Law

The NSW Department of Education's ILP guidelines require that goals be measurable and subject to an ongoing monitoring and review process. The DSE 2005 requires that reasonable adjustments be evaluated for their effectiveness. A vague goal cannot be evaluated. When an ILP is full of vague goals, there is no accountability mechanism — for the school or for measuring the child's progress.

When you push for specific goals with baseline data and review dates, you are not being difficult. You are insisting on legal compliance with the Department's own policy.

Literacy Goals

Early reading (K-Year 2):

• "[Child] will identify all 26 uppercase and lowercase letters with 100% accuracy when presented with random flashcards, measured by teacher assessment in Week 10 of Term 2."
• "[Child] will decode CVC (consonant-vowel-consonant) words with 80% accuracy using a phonics-based approach by the end of Term 3, as measured by fortnightly running records."
• "[Child] will listen to a read-aloud picture book of 10 minutes duration without requiring physical redirection on 4 out of 5 occasions by Week 8 of Term 2."

Reading comprehension (Years 3-6):

• "[Child] will answer 3 out of 4 literal comprehension questions correctly after reading an age-appropriate passage with support from visual cues, by the end of Term 2."
• "[Child] will identify the main idea and two supporting details in a Year 3 informational text when given a graphic organiser, with 75% accuracy by Week 10 of Term 3."

Writing:

• "[Child] will compose a three-sentence narrative on a familiar topic using capital letters and full stops with 90% consistency, by the end of Term 2."
• "[Child] will independently plan a persuasive text using a graphic organiser and produce a 5-sentence draft with a clear topic sentence by Week 8 of Term 4."

Assistive technology:

• "[Child] will use text-to-speech software to independently access set digital reading materials for a minimum of 20 minutes per session without SLSO prompting by the end of Term 3."

Numeracy Goals

• "[Child] will count forward and backward from any given number to 100 with 100% accuracy by Week 10 of Term 2, as measured by teacher assessment."
• "[Child] will correctly identify and write numerals 0-20 with 90% accuracy when shown a random sequence, measured weekly."
• "[Child] will solve 10 single-digit addition problems using concrete materials (blocks, counters) with 80% accuracy in a 15-minute session by the end of Term 3."
• "[Child] will read analogue time to the hour and half-hour on 4 out of 5 trials by Week 8 of Term 2, using a demonstration clock."
• "[Child] will independently manage a calculator to check 2-digit subtraction computations in maths class without SLSO prompting on 3 out of 5 observed occasions by end of Term 4."

Communication Goals

Expressive language:

• "[Child] will use 2-3 word combinations to make requests or comments in a structured group activity on 80% of sampled opportunities by the end of Term 2."
• "[Child] will contribute at least one relevant verbal statement to class discussion in each 45-minute session on 4 out of 5 observed occasions by Week 8 of Term 3."

AAC and alternative communication:

• "[Child] will independently access their AAC device to indicate a break request without verbal prompting from an adult on 4 out of 5 opportunities per day by the end of Term 2."
• "[Child] will use PECS Phase III to request a preferred activity from a field of 5 symbols with 90% accuracy by end of Term 2."

Social communication:

• "[Child] will initiate a peer interaction (verbal greeting, asking to join play) once per structured recess session on 3 out of 5 observed days by the end of Term 3."
• "[Child] will wait for a peer to finish speaking before responding in a structured conversation activity on 4 out of 5 opportunities by Week 10 of Term 2."

Social Skills and Emotional Regulation Goals

• "[Child] will identify their emotional state from a visual emotion scale (1-5) and select a corresponding self-regulation strategy with adult prompting in 80% of observed instances of emotional escalation by the end of Term 2."
• "[Child] will request a sensory break using an agreed signal card before reaching a dysregulated state (defined as level 4+ on the class regulation scale) on 3 out of 5 observed occasions per week by end of Term 3."
• "[Child] will participate in a group activity with 2-3 peers for a minimum of 10 minutes without requiring adult mediation on 4 out of 5 structured play sessions by Week 10 of Term 3."
• "[Child] will follow a 3-step visual schedule to transition between activities independently (without SLSO prompting) in 80% of observed transitions by the end of Term 2."

Independence and Self-Management Goals

• "[Child] will independently pack and unpack their school bag at the beginning and end of each school day without adult prompting on 4 out of 5 school days by end of Term 2."
• "[Child] will independently retrieve and submit completed work from/to their allocated tray or digital platform on 90% of occasions by Week 8 of Term 3."
• "[Child] will record homework tasks in their diary with 100% accuracy using a visual checklist and adult verification for the first 3 weeks, reducing to no verification by Week 8 of Term 2."
• "[Child] will independently complete a personal hygiene routine (hand washing, toileting) following a visual sequence card with no adult reminders on 4 out of 5 observed occasions by end of Term 2."

How to Use This Goal Bank at Your ILP Meeting

Don't arrive at the meeting and read goals from a list. Instead:

1. Identify which areas are the priority focus areas for your child this term
2. Check what assessment data the school holds on current performance in those areas
3. Bring proposed goals framed in SMART language as a starting point for negotiation
4. Ask the school to confirm what baseline they're working from before agreeing to the target

If the school proposes a vague goal, ask two questions: "How will we measure this?" and "By when will we review it?" If there's no answer to both, the goal needs to be rewritten.

Review timelines should be built into the ILP at the point of goal-setting — not left open-ended. Standard review cycles in NSW are per term or per semester. For intensive support, monthly progress checks are appropriate.

For a complete ILP preparation and review framework — including the pre-meeting checklist, the question script for the meeting itself, and the follow-up documentation template — the NSW Disability Support Blueprint covers the full advocacy workflow.

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