When 1.6 million pupils are persistently absent from school (Centre for Social Justice, 2025), it’s not a compliance problem – it’s a design failure. On Tuesday 3 June, join radical education practitioners and researchers at our virtual conference as we challenge the very premise that physical school buildings are necessary or beneficial for an increasing […]
Dr Chandrika Devarakonda, University of Chester, UK Diversity and difference among learners should be acknowledged, accepted and appreciated to enable better outcomes for all. For educators, this entails adaptation of both the curriculum and learning approaches, appropriate to the varying needs of children within a class and within a school or college. Generally, diversity is […]
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 […]
Helen Ross, Owner and Founder, Helen’s Place Education Consultancy, UK Elizabeth Malone, Reader, Manchester Metropolitan University, UK Peter Wood, Senior Lecturer, Liverpool John Moores University, UK Introduction Recently, discourse around how teachers should meet learners’ needs in the classroom has shifted (Glazzard and Green, 2022; Knapton, 2022). Previous discourse was rooted in ‘differentiation’ of children […]
GEMMA JAMES AND MELISSA TAYLOR, EARLY LEARNING HIGH NEEDS PATHWAY LEADS, ELLESMERE COLLEGE LEICESTER, UK A phrase that most staff in an early learning environment will have heard, whether in the working environment or in conversation in the wider community, is: ‘all they do is play’. In this article, we discuss the importance of play and […]
TANYA ROWLEY, DIRECTOR OF QUALITY OF EDUCATION, SHAW EDUCATION TRUST, UK ALISON PARR, EDUCATION CONSULTANT AND DEPUTY REGIONAL LEAD, WHOLE SCHOOL SEND, UK Introduction This case study explores the approach taken by a medium-to-large multi-academy trust (MAT) to enhance support and outcomes for students with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). The context for the SENDing Students […]
JANOS FABIAN, DIRECTOR OF MUSIC, ST EDMUND’S SCHOOL, UK; PHD MUSIC PSYCHOLOGY RESEARCHER, UNIVERSITY OF LEEDS, UK Music has long been recognised for its power to evoke emotion and facilitate human connection. In recent years, research has increasingly highlighted the role of music psychology and music therapy in supporting children’s social and emotional development (Rus et […]
VICTORIA COOK, LEAD RESEARCHER, CHARTERED COLLEGE OF TEACHING, UK LISA-MARIA MÜLLER, HEAD OF RESEARCH AND POLICY, CHARTERED COLLEGE OF TEACHING, UK BETH O’BRIEN, EDUCATION CONTENT MANAGER, CHARTERED COLLEGE OF TEACHING, UK Introduction In our recent working paper on teacher professionalism, we emphasised the role of teachers in adapting and implementing research evidence as part of […]
RICHARD HARVEY-SWANSTON, SENIOR LECTURER, UNIVERSITY OF BRIGHTON, UK KERRI BURNS, SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT ADVISOR, UNIVERSITY OF BRIGHTON ACADEMIES TRUST, UK TIFF COLE, FACULTY LEAD COACH, UNIVERSITY OF BRIGHTON ACADEMIES TRUST, UK Introduction This article reports on research that evaluated the effects of a trust-wide professional development (PD) programme for middle leaders, designed, delivered and evaluated in partnership between the […]
SARAH COTTINGHATT, RESEARCH LEAD, STEPLAB, UK; PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CONSULTANT, AUTHOR AND COACH ADAM KOHLBECK FCCT, DEPUTY HEADTEACHER; CO-FOUNDER, EDUPULSE, UK CHRIS PASSEY FCCT, DEPUTY HEADTEACHER; CO-FOUNDER, EDUPULSE, UK Instructional coaching, a form of professional development, may be a strong bet for schools (Sims, 2019). While there is debate about the definition, for the purposes of this article, we […]
SYM PITSIALIS, SENCO, HENDON SCHOOL, UK HELEN LANGSAM, ASSISTANT HEADTEACHER, HENDON SCHOOL, UK Introduction This case study details our journey to enhancing special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) provision in our secondary school by strengthening adaptive teaching practices across the school’s faculty teams. It explores how an external SEND review, collaboration with faculty heads and a tailored […]
JULIA TRICKEY, ASSISTANT PGCE PRIMARY PROGRAMME LEADER AND SEND AND INCLUSION SPECIALIST, UNIVERSITY OF DERBY, UK BECKY MANTON, PROGRAMME LEADER, UNIVERSITY OF DERBY, UK CHARLOTTE MOSEY, ASSISTANT HEAD OF DISCIPLINE: PRIMARY ITT/E, UNIVERSITY OF DERBY, UK The importance of preparing early career teachers to be able to facilitate progress for all learners has been put into focus in […]
ALEX TOMKINS, HEADTEACHER, GREENSIDE SCHOOL, UK; EDD STUDENT, UNIVERSITY OF DERBY, UK In 2019, I wrote an article for Impact exploring how Greenside special school had developed a curriculum for our complex cohort (Tomkins, 2019). My school educates children aged three to 19 with severe learning difficulties (SLD), many of whom have an autism diagnosis. The […]
KATHRYN DOWNS, TEACHER OF MATHS AND EVIDENCE LEAD, DIXONS UNITY ACADEMY, UK I’ve been privileged to spend much of my teaching career working with a high number of students with SEND (special educational needs and disabilities). As a neurodivergent wheelchair user, I have a unique understanding of what it is like to face significant barriers to […]
EMMA LOUISE PRICE, PRIMARY TEACHER AND EDUCATION DOCTORATE STUDENT, BIRMINGHAM CITY UNIVERSITY, UK Introduction Imagine a school environment where every request, no matter how small, feels like an insurmountable challenge. From the perspective of a student with pathological demand avoidance (PDA), the rigidity of mainstream classroom learning environments only heightens their anxiety and avoidant behaviours, […]
STEPH HILL, ECT 1, SPRINGFIELD JUNIOR SCHOOL, UK DAVID KERSHAW, SENIOR LECTURER IN EDUCATION, UNIVERSITY OF DERBY, UK In modern education, the imperative for an inclusive curriculum is undeniable. An inclusive curriculum ensures that all students feel valued, represented and equipped to engage critically with their learning and the wider world. However, traditional educational systems often fall […]
ANDY CROFT, MATHS LEAD, SNOWFIELDS ACADEMY, UK Introduction As a maths teacher in a specialist school for students with autism, I navigate a persistent tension: preparing students for qualifications and future study while ensuring that they develop the numeracy skills needed to thrive in daily life. A recent discussion at a Kent special schools networking event […]
MIRIAM HUSSAIN, ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL, WEST MIDLANDS, UK ELIZABETH FORD, INTERIM HEADTEACHER, WORCESTERSHIRE, UK The drive for consistent, high-quality instruction has led many schools to embrace pre-planned curricula, promising efficiency and standardisation. However, this trend carries a significant risk: the potential de-skilling of teachers, particularly those early in their careers. This is especially concerning in today’s classrooms, where […]
TIM BROGAN, HEADTEACHER, ST ALBAN’S CATHOLIC VOLUNTARY ACADEMY, UK This case study explores the successful implementation of ‘priority pupil meetings’ (PPMs) in a multi-academy trust school in Derbyshire, highlighting their effectiveness in reducing barriers to learning for vulnerable and disadvantaged students, including those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). PPMs align effective safeguarding practices […]
TOM MOLLOY, DIRECTOR, TOMMY FLOWERS SCITT, UK As the director of an initial teacher training (ITT) programme and an external moderator for others, it is a privilege to be welcomed into classrooms across the country and to see student teachers develop. Observing and holding discussions with novices and their mentors also gives an insight that few […]
