Using Lesson Study principles in a special school to improve teaching and learning

Alex Tomkins, Headteacher, Spring Common Academy, UK; EdD student, University of Derby, UK What makes a special school different? Special schools educate students with a variety of needs; most have diverse cohorts and often teach the most marginalised in our school system. The school in which this case study is set is a large special school, with 165 students aged three to 19, mostly presenting with severe learning difficulties, in over 20 different classes. Most special school classes are smaller than mainstream; in this school the largest has 14 students. All students have an education health and care plan (EHCP) and have individualised targets and approaches to ensure that they learn and progress.  There is no formal training that can prepare a teacher to work in a special school. CPD (continuing professional development) has to be ‘cherry picked’ for the useful parts for a particular child or lesson. Teachers, through experience, build a detailed and often bespoke underst