Adaptive Teaching

Every child learns differently. Adaptive teaching means that teachers focus on the whole class and adapt their teaching to make it appropriate for all students. At St. Peter’s, we adapt our teaching to respond to the different strengths and needs of all our pupils, removing barriers to learning and allowing all our children opportunities to meet the expectations of the lesson.

The Education Endowment Foundation (2020) found strong evidence that improving high quality teaching for all students will improve outcomes for students with SEND.

The recommended strategies include:

•Scaffolding, such as a writing frame, that is gradually removed as the student becomes increasingly independent

•Explicit instruction, such as teacher demonstration followed by guided practice and independent practice

•Technology, which can assist teachers to model processes and present ideas visually, and can also provide technical aids for students, such as speech generating apps

•Cognitive strategies, such as chunking or memorisation techniques, can support students with SEND or breaking down tasks into smaller steps.

•Flexible grouping, where groups are formed for an explicit purpose allow teachers to set up opportunities for collaborative learning and to allocate different tasks to group members. Written tasks are not always necessary to show and develop understanding. At St. Peter’s, our lessons can involve drama, discussion, arts or school visits.