This article considers some aspects of the 'what, why and how' of individualising reflective assessments. It is an attempt to understand what works well in a special needs setting but it can also be applied within a mainstream context. The article comprises evidence, in the form of practitioner observations, during the author's work with eight students with complex, severe learning difficulties in a special needs school located in Greater London, as a part of a project called 'Brent Schools Reflective Writing'. Its findings, with an emphasis on developing independence amongst all SEND learners, support many of the recommendations contained in the final report of the Rochford Review (2013).