Early identification of learner needs

This policy brief examines how early identification of learner needs is a cornerstone of inclusive education and a key condition for ensuring school success for all. It highlights a persistent tension in European systems between formal identification approaches on the one hand, which risk stigmatising learners and reinforcing inequalities, and the absence of systematic identification on the other, which leaves vulnerable students unsupported. The brief calls for a shift towards holistic, preventative, and non-categorical approaches that allow schools to respond promptly before difficulties intensify. Four enabling conditions are identified: needs-based identification, multidisciplinary support structures, flexible resourcing, and ethical data governance.