The shift to adaptive teaching: A research-informed guide
Written by: Mark Leswell
8 min read
MARK LESWELL, RESEARCH LEAD, SWALE ACADEMIES TRUST, UK
Introduction
The number of students identified as having special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) is increasing. In England, for example, 1.7 million pupils were identified as having SEND in 2024, representing 18.4 per cent of all pupils (DfE, 2024). Despite our dedicated efforts, the educational outcomes for students with SEND continue to lag significantly behind their peers without SEND. For example, those pupils with SEND that have statements or education, health and care plans (EHCPs) achieve a Progress 8 score of -1.09 (Thomson, 2019).
The challenges facing students with SEND are multifaceted and complex. Prior attainment data reveals that almost 40 per cent of pupils with SEND in mainstream schools achieved a mean Key Stage 2 fine grade of 3.0 or lower, compared to just one per cent of pupils without SEND (Thomson, 2019). The performance gap for students with SEND in mainstream settings is less pronounced tha
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A superb piece; thank you, Mark. We’re using this as the starting point for an upcoming PD session.