What is Portage?

Portage is a home-visiting educational service for pre-school children with SEND and their families.

Portage aims to:

  • work with families to help them develop a quality of life and experience, for themselves and their young children, in which they can learn together, play together, participate and be included in their community in their own right.
  • play a part in minimising the disabling barriers that confront young children and their families.
  • support the national and local development of inclusive services for children.

How Portage is Delivered

Traditionally Portage is delivered by Portage Home Visitors who are employed as part of a Portage service to support children and families within their local community.

Find out how to become a Portage Home Visitor

Each Portage service is different and the model of delivery will differ from area to area. 

A full description of the Portage Model of Service Delivery is given in the NPA Code of Practice.

Find out more about Portage Services and Service registration

Model of Support

Portage is a model of support for children and families which can be adapted and used effectively both in the home and in early years settings.

Many Portage services now offer support and training to early years practitioners; with Portage Principles and the Portage Model now used in early years practice within a range of settings.

The NPA Stamp of Approval Scheme

The NPA Stamp of Approval Scheme is an award given to early year’s settings who have demonstrated they deliver inclusive early years education based upon Portage Principles. 

The Portage Name

The name Portage comes from a town in Wisconsin, USA where the first home teaching scheme began.

Portage has been established in the UK since 1976. 

What people say

‘Portage was a constant source of help and advice'

(Portage Parent)

'Their support was sincere and non-judgemental. We felt empowered by the reassurance and encouragement we received.’ 

(Portage Parent)

‘Portage was an extremely positive experience, which supported our daughter’s developmental progress.'

(Portage Parent)

'It also helped us as a family to get to know her strengths and weaknesses and her ability to learn and gave us the confidence to feel that we were doing everything we could to help her achieve each small step.’

(Portage Parent)