Request for assessment of special support – School, support needs & Excel | Word/PDF

Request for an investigation into special support in school is a document package for students and parents or guardians who need to draw a Swedish school principal's attention to circumstances that may indicate a need for special support. The package helps you describe needs, previous extra support, contacts with the school, and follow-up. Delivered in editable Word, searchable PDF, and Excel.

Important distinction: This is a request and documentation from the student or parent or guardian – not the school's formal investigation or a decided action plan. The principal is responsible for ensuring that an investigation is carried out when the conditions set by law are met. The provisions apply to specified types of schools, and certain exceptions may apply. The school makes decisions about action plans or whether not to develop one.

When is this template appropriate?

For a student or parent or guardian who wants to highlight concrete difficulties in a type of school where Chapters 3, Sections 7–12 of the Education Act apply, such as primary or secondary school. The difficulties may involve a risk of not meeting knowledge requirements or other difficulties in the school environment. Extra support does not always need to have been tried first if there are special reasons to believe it would be insufficient.

File by file

Excel – nine tabs and eight key metrics

The tabs are Overview, Cases, Support Needs, Adjustments, Contacts, Investigation, Decision, Follow-up, and Read Me. Eight summaries count registered entries and manually entered statuses. A sent request is not the same as confirmed receipt. A registered investigation is not a decided action plan. No legal deadlines are calculated, and no macros or external accounts are required for local use. Avoid recording unnecessary sensitive student data.

How to use the document package

1. Check the student's type of school, the correct principal, and whether Chapter 3, Section 7 applies.
2. Complete the request with concrete situations and details – distinguish between your own observations and second-hand information.
3. Collect information about previous support measures, which ones were actually carried out, and which were only proposed.
4. Send it to the principal via the school's appropriate channel and record actual confirmation of receipt.
5. Provide substantive comments on the school's actual investigation when one exists, and participate when an action plan is being developed.
6. Document any written decisions. Check the instructions for appeal if a decision about an action plan or not to develop one has been made.

Legal conditions

According to Chapter 3, Section 7 of the Education Act (2010:800), the principal must ensure that the student's need for special support is investigated promptly when the conditions are met; other difficulties in the school environment may also trigger an investigation. Consultation with the school health service should take place unless it is obviously unnecessary. According to Chapter 3, Section 9, an action plan must be developed for a student who is to be given special support; it must state the needs, measures, responsibilities, and follow-up. The student and parent or guardian must be given the opportunity to participate. The principal is responsible for the decision-making function under the law. If an action plan is not considered necessary, a decision not to develop one is required.

Regulatory version: The templates are designed according to the rules in force on November 1, 2026. The published legal text also contains future wording that comes into force in 2028; this has not been used as the applicable rules for this product. The documents are not intended for foreign law or as a general preschool form.

Frequently asked questions

Can a parent or guardian request that the need for special support be investigated?

Yes, parents or guardians can provide information about support needs to the school or principal. The principal assesses and is responsible for ensuring that a prompt investigation is carried out when the conditions in the Education Act are met.

Must extra support always be tried before an investigation?

No. Special circumstances may mean that extra support is assessed as insufficient from the outset. An investigation may also be triggered by other difficulties in the school environment.

Does the student need a diagnosis?

No. The school's obligations under the provisions on special support are based on needs and the school environment, not on a general requirement for a diagnosis.

What is the difference between a request and an action plan?

A request is information from the student or parent or guardian. An action plan is the school's formal document and decision after an investigation when special support is to be provided.

Can a decision about an action plan be appealed?

Yes, decisions under Chapter 3, Section 9 may be subject to appeal under Chapter 28, Section 16 of the Education Act. Check the actual written decision and the applicable appeal deadline; this product is not an appeal template.

Is consent required for the school's investigation?

A pedagogical investigation into special support normally does not require the parent or guardian's consent. Certain medical or psychological examinations may, however, require consent. The Swedish National Agency for Education's guidance explains the difference.

Are the templates in English, and is the PDF digitally fillable?

The main templates are in Swedish. The English User Guide explains Swedish law, and the PDF versions are searchable print documents – not interactive forms.

Sources and version information

The Education Act (2010:800), Chapters 3, Sections 6–9 and 28, Section 16, Swedish National Agency for Education – extra support, special support, and action plans, Swedish National Agency for Education – investigation into a student's need for special support, and the Swedish School Appeals Board. Document version 1.0. AI-assisted legal source review performed November 1, 2026. No external independent legal review or regulatory approval has been carried out.