Matching

Summary of this person-centered thinking tool

This is a structured way to think about the best matches for pupils with other people – for example other pupils or support staff. It works across four areas: support needed, skills wanted and needed, personality characteristics and shared common interests.

Matching

Benefits for pupils

• Helps clarify what makes a good match between the pupil and others for situations where people need to be paired or matched (for example school trips).

• Can be used as the person specification and job description in recruitment for individual supporters for pupils (for example personal assistants).

Benefits for parents

• This is the main tool for person-centred recruitment for support staff (personal assistants/teaching assistants) for pupils with a personal budget.

Benefits for school staff

• Getting better matches between pupils can make situations more rewarding and enjoyable for everyone.
• When recruiting people to a team, it enables the team to think about what skills may be missing in the team, and what kind of person would be the best fit.

Benefits for others

• In recruitment, for example Governors and head teachers.