The 2026 Extensive Level Change

What changed in the 2026 Extensive level guidance

Schools started seeing the 2026 Extensive level change described as "continuous, not cumulative" because updated guidance made one point much clearer: Extensive adjustments sit apart from the usual flexible reading of the 10-week evidence period. In the official SchoolsHUB summary of the 2026 Guidelines, the Department says the general 10-week flexibility remains, but that flexibility does not apply to Extensive adjustments, which must be in place at all times.

That matters because some schools have treated Extensive as the highest level simply because support is very strong, expensive, or specialist-led. The 2026 clarification pushes schools back to the actual descriptor. Extensive is for students with very high support needs who receive extensive targeted measures and sustained levels of intensive support at all times. In practice, that means your record set must show continuity, not just intensity.

What has not changed

Schools still need evidence across the four general evidence areas: assessed need, consultation and collaboration, at least 10 weeks of adjustments, and ongoing monitoring and review. The NCCD still relies on professional judgement, whether disability is diagnosed or imputed on reasonable documented grounds. Evidence can still sit across different files and formats. Schools are not forced into one document type. Student records still need to be retained for seven years and produced if requested.

Quick comparison: before and after the 2026 clarification

This table shows the practical shift in how schools should read the Extensive level.

Why the 2026 Extensive level change matters

The practical issue is classification. If a student receives major help for some parts of the week but not at all times, the level may still be Substantial rather than Extensive. That does not reduce the seriousness of the student's needs. It simply keeps the record aligned with the descriptor you are using.

This also matters for audits and school consistency. If one teacher reads Extensive as "very intensive sometimes" and another reads it as "intensive support at all times", moderation breaks down. The 2026 wording helps moderation teams ask a cleaner question: does the evidence show this student needs sustained intensive support across the school day or full educational programme, not just selected activities?

How to decide whether a student is truly Extensive

Use this sequence to check whether a student's record supports the Extensive level.

1. 1.Start with the descriptor, not the funding outcome. Ask whether the student has very high support needs and requires extensive targeted measures at all times.
2. 2.Read the evidence set as a whole. One strong document is not enough if the rest of the file shows the support only happens at certain times.
3. 3.Look across settings. Check class learning, transitions, breaks, specialist support, personal care, communication, behaviour support, and safety arrangements where relevant.
4. 4.Check continuity. The record should show the intensive support is ongoing, embedded, and regularly reviewed, not switched on only for one subject or one block of intervention.
5. 5.Moderate with others before locking the level. The 2026 clarification is easiest to apply when teachers, learning support staff, and coordinators look at the same evidence set together.

What to review in student records now

This table shows what strong evidence looks like and what may signal the level is too high.

What strong Extensive evidence can include

The key is not quantity for its own sake. The key is whether the evidence clearly links the student's functional needs to an ongoing pattern of intensive support. The NCCD Portal provides guidance on what strong evidence looks like at each level. A short file can still be strong if it shows the need, the measures, the consultation, and the review cycle clearly.

• A personalised learning or support plan that shows highly individualised measures operating across the student's programme.
• Daily or weekly support schedules that show one-to-one or highly intensive assistance is built into the student's routine.
• Consultation notes with parents, carers, the student, and specialists that explain why this level of support is required.
• Monitoring records showing the school is reviewing whether the intensive measures remain appropriate and effective.
• Work samples, behaviour support notes, communication plans, health or safety procedures, and specialist advice that together demonstrate support at all times.

Plain-English test

If your file proves the student needs intensive support everywhere they learn, move, communicate, or participate at school, you may be looking at Extensive. If the support is heavy but only happens in some places or at some times, pause and review whether Substantial is the better fit.

Common mistake schools should avoid

The biggest mistake is reading "continuous" as "every minute must have a separate note". That is not the point. Schools do not need impossible minute-by-minute records. They do need a record set that shows the student's programme itself is built around sustained intensive support. Another common mistake is assuming that specialist staff or high effort automatically means Extensive. The level still depends on the pattern and continuity of the adjustments, not just their cost or complexity.

What coordinators should do before Census Day

Use this checklist to prepare your Extensive student files before Census Day. For more on the coordinator role, see our dedicated guide.

1. 1.Pull your current Extensive list early and review each student against the updated wording.
2. 2.Check whether each file shows support at all times, not just cumulative weeks of high-intensity help.
3. 3.Where the pattern looks intermittent, moderate the level with the relevant teachers and support staff.
4. 4.Tighten records before the census window closes. It is much easier to fix the evidence trail early than to defend a weak classification later.
5. 5.Keep a simple moderation note explaining why the final level was selected. That improves consistency across your school.

What to do next

Use this page to tighten your moderation language, then review your current Extensive files against the actual support pattern in each student record. After that, check the NCCD adjustment levels page and the evidence guide to confirm both the level descriptor and the evidence standard match what you are reporting.

Frequently Asked Questions