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 […]
BECCY THOMPSON, SENIOR LECTURER IN PROFESSIONAL STUDIES AND DRAMA PGCE LEAD, UNIVERSITY OF ROEHAMPTON, UK Introduction It is well established that students with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) face more disadvantages in school compared to their peers without such needs (Children’s Commissioner, 2022). A concurrent issue in English state schools has been the ‘downgrading’ of […]
KRISTINA BETH LEWIS, DEPUTY HEAD (ACADEMIC), BLACKHEATH HIGH SCHOOL, GDST, UK The Oracy Education Commission’s report We need to talk (2024a) highlights the urgent need for schools to prioritise oracy skills as a core component of the curriculum, in order to address inequalities and improve student outcomes across the UK. There are calls for oracy education […]
EDDIE BULLOCK, DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHIATRY, UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE, UK EMMA BRINING, DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH, SIR JOHN LAWES, UK Promoting mental health awareness and discussion among secondary school students through evidence-based insights Growing mental health challenges among adolescents has placed strain on schools and mental health services (Tully et al., 2019). Recent studies indicate that nearly one in […]
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 […]
STEPHEN BAILEY, CAROLINE CURTIS AND PAUL DAVIES, QUEEN’S COLLEGE, LONDON, UK Introduction The rising need for supporting students with SEND is well documented (DfE, 2024), putting strain on school services and leaving some students without the necessary care (NICE, 2022). This case study examines how a London independent day school for girls redesigned its support for […]
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 […]
LAURA HORTON, PASTORAL SUPPORT MANAGER, CENTRAL FOUNDATION GIRLS’ SCHOOL, UK This case study examines the design and implementation of an enhanced pastoral support system at a mainstream inner-city state secondary school. The strategy aims to encourage adaptive, inclusive practice around social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs, looking beyond the traditional scope of special educational needs […]
JOANNA KOLOTA, CURRICULUM LEADER: MULTILINGUAL LEARNERS, TRINITY ACADEMY LEEDS, UK Challenges in supporting multilingual learners Supporting multilingual learners (MLs) or students who use English as an additional language (EAL) in mainstream schools is a multifaceted and often complex endeavour (DfE, 2020). The support encompasses academic and linguistic realms, which will be the focus in this case […]
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 […]
JESSICA JOHNSON, HEAD OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS, UNITED LEARNING, UK SARAH HORN, DIRECTOR OF SEND (SECONDARY), UNITED LEARNING, UK Over the past decade, the landscape of special education provision in England has changed significantly. In the nine years to 2023/24, the number of children with education, health and care plans rose by 140 per cent. This increase […]
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 […]
REBECCA MACK, PHYSICS TEACHER, LOUGHBOROUGH GRAMMAR SCHOOL, UK Introduction Physics has a long-standing image problem. The Institute of Physics (IOP) Limit Less campaign promotes diversity in physics by tackling stereotypes and broadening participation. It highlights diverse physicists, reframes problems to include different perspectives and addresses unconscious biases. The campaign supports underrepresented students at all stages, including […]
