Is it possible to see the notion of partnership as the model for “working together” when a handicapped pupil (ESH is the French acro-nym for such pupils) is being helped by a teacher and by a designated helper (AESH) during a science teaching sequence in the last stages of primary school and first year of middle school ? To explore this issue we have constructed a model allowing us to analyse the practices of the different agents involved, using elements drawn from partnership prac-tices but also from cognitive support systems and didactic systems. Our hypothesis is that the work done in common in order to supply support would vary according to discipline and to the types of needs the ESH showed. The analytical tool was tested with the exis-ting practices of three AESH and four tea-chers. The results show the complexity – but also at times the potential – for both profes-sionals, in accompanying and in responding to the particular needs of a specific student learning science, to do so in the terms of a partnership. But clearly, working as partners is not self-evident – it requires a socialisa-tion of learning through a specific organisa-tion, which integrates elements of work in partnerships, cognitive support, and didacti-cism, for which we offer a number of ideas.