High Quality Teaching for SEND
Week 1 – Why Quality First Teaching Matters Most
High-quality teaching is the foundation of effective provision for pupils with SEND. While targeted support has an important role, the greatest opportunity to remove barriers begins within everyday classroom teaching. In this session, we’ll explore why inclusive, evidence-informed teaching matters most and how small, purposeful adaptations can improve access, participation and learning while maintaining high expectations for every pupil.
Week 2 – Adaptive Teaching Rather than Different Teaching
Supporting pupils with SEND does not mean creating completely different learning experiences. Adaptive teaching focuses on making thoughtful, responsive adjustments that enable pupils to access the same ambitious curriculum alongside their peers. In this session, we’ll explore how teachers and TAs can anticipate barriers, adapt support and maintain high expectations without unnecessarily separating pupils from high-quality classroom teaching.
Week 3 – Cognitive Load and Reducing Unnecessary Difficulty
Learning can become harder when pupils are required to process too much information at once, particularly when additional barriers are already present. Understanding cognitive load can help teachers distinguish between productive challenge and unnecessary difficulty. In this session, we’ll explore practical ways to simplify instructions, organise information and reduce distractions so pupils with SEND can focus their attention on the learning that matters most.
Week 4 – Scaffolding without Creating Dependency
Effective scaffolding gives pupils the temporary support they need to access challenging learning while keeping expectations high. However, support that remains in place for too long can unintentionally create reliance on adults or resources. In this session, we’ll explore how teachers and TAs can provide purposeful scaffolds, gradually remove them and create opportunities for pupils with SEND to develop greater confidence, resilience and independence.
Week 5 – Effective Questioning and Checking Understanding
Effective questioning helps teachers and TAs uncover what pupils truly understand rather than relying on whether they appear to be keeping up. For pupils with SEND, carefully planned questions and regular checks for understanding can identify misconceptions and barriers early. In this session, we’ll explore practical ways to use questioning to assess understanding, adapt support and ensure every pupil remains actively involved in learning.
Week 6 – Reflection: What changes tomorrow?
Improving outcomes for pupils with SEND does not always require large-scale change. Often, the greatest impact comes from small, consistent adjustments to everyday classroom practice. In this final session, we’ll reflect on the key principles explored throughout the series, consider what is already working well and identify one purposeful change that can be put into practice tomorrow to strengthen inclusion, independence and access to high-quality teaching.