SEND Five-a-day

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SENDing Students Soaring: Highly Eșective Adaptive Teaching At SET, we are deeply committed to ensuring that every student, including those with special educational needs, thrives and achieves their fullest potential. To support this commitment, we have developed a comprehensive flip book that delves into the "5 a Day" principles outlined in the Education Endowment Foundation's (EEF) guidance on "Special Educational Needs in Mainstream Schools." This flip book serves as an invaluable resource for educational professionals. It provides an in - depth exploration of each of the "5 a Day" strategies, offering practical guidance on how to effectively implement them within school settings. The resource is designed to help schools develop tailored programs that meet their specific needs, build on existing knowledge, motivate educators, enhance teaching techniques, and embed effective practices. Each chapter is enriched with current research and findings, and is accompanied by videos ( links in the resources section of this book ) demonstrating these strategies in action. This not only helps to illustrate best practices but also provides a dynamic learning experience for educators. The flip book is versatile in its application. It can be used to create Continuing Professional Development (CPD) materials, serve as pre reading for CPD sessions, or complement a school’s implementation strategy. Additionally, it will support three HUB sessions throughout the year, providing multiple opportunities for sharing best practices and fostering further collaboration. We believe this resource will be instrumental in deepening the pedagogical knowledge of SENDCOs, T&L leads, teachers, and teaching assistants, thereby enhancing the quality of education for all students.

I trust that you will find this flip book to be a valuable tool in your educational endeavours.

Warm regards,

Tanya Rowley Director of Quality of Education

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Introduction SEN in Mainstream Schools. Embedding Five - a - day Implementation Guidance

Exemplar Implementation Plan Explicit Instruction Cognitive and Metacognitive Strategies Scașolding

Flexible Grouping

Using Technology Resources to support Five - a - day

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Introduction: SEND 5 a day! Meeting the range of needs presented by a class of children is undoubt edly a challenging task. However, research suggests that there are ap proaches which teachers can employ to support learning and improve outcomes for all pupils, including those with Special Educational Needs. The SEND Code of Practice is explicit about the role of teachers (not SENDCO’s, not TA’s, not external specialist) in improving outcomes for students with SEND. This is in line with evidence showing the signifi cance of effective teachers are more widely; students gain 40% more in their learning from a ‘very effective teacher’ than they do from a ‘poorly performing teacher’ (The Sutton Trust, 2011). For this to work in reality, the advice you give teachers should be advice that teachers can easily factor into their planning, that requires minimal specialist expertise and that costs little expense, either time or of the schools resources. The more needs can be met through adaptations and nuances taken at the universal level, the better. ‘For it to be effective, in clusion has to take up less time, less money and less stress.’ (Alston and Sobel 2021) Hence why we have chosen the SEND 5 a day as an effective starting point.

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Special Educational Needs in Mainstream Schools | EEF (educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk)

The evidence which informed the EEF’s ‘Special Education Needs in Mainstream Schools’ guidance report in strand 3 (see above) indicated that there are five particular approaches which can be integrated into day - to - day teaching practice to raise attainment among children with additional needs, as well as their classmates.

Watch this 3 minute video for an overview of the Five - a - day

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_4U73xozWk

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Special Education Needs in Mainstream Schools. Harnessing these evidence - informed strategies will positively support all learners, including those with SEND. Teachers should develop a repertoire of these strategies, which they can use daily and flexibly in response to individual needs, using them as the starting point for their classroom teaching.

For the opportunity to hear what the Five - a - day means to a practicing classroom teacher, watch this ‘Voices from the Classroom’ video from Jess James. https://youtu.be/facWXq3TGYc To see how a SENDCO works with their SLT to bring change to teaching practices in their school, look at this video from Jess Wood and Sarah Hill.

https://youtu.be/EQbRvnuzFiY

Five - a - day - poster_1.1.pdf (d2tic4wvo1iusb.cloudfront.net)

The ‘Five - a - day’ approach allows educators to embed a set of teaching habits that feel manageable in reality. And best of all, these approaches come out of an evidence review that looked specifically at the impact on academic progress for pupils with SEND in mainstream settings.

https://d2tic4wvo1iusb.cloudfront.net/documents/guidance/ EEF_SEND_Evidence_Review.pdf?v=1649136795

The SENDCo is key in supporting teachers to implement this ‘Five - a - day’ of teaching, but how do we actually go about this? The EEF’s Effective Professional Development provides guidance that SENDCos and SEND leaders may well find useful: As school leaders begin to set Professional Development priorities and schedules for the coming academic year, the guidance report encourages school leaders to take a balanced approach.

Effective Professional Development | EEF (educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk)

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The evidence encourages SENDCos to plan a programme that ‘ builds knowledge’ , ‘ motivates teachers’ , ‘ develops teaching techniques’ and ‘ embeds practice’ .

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If the aim is to embed the ‘Five - a - day’ into teaching practice, that might mean delivering a programme that does something like the following:

Embedding the 5 a day

Embedding Strand 1: Explicit Instruction Build knowledge – Managing cognitive load In Sept, on the INSET you plan a session carefully outlining what Explicit Instruction is, why it is a key priority, and what strategies you want staff to embed. Highlight why this has been chosen: Various audits, QA procedures, staff and student feedback, and student attainment data have all indicated that explicit instruction is an area in need of further development in our school. Explicit Instruction poster Flip book on Explicit instruction with videos to show classroom examples across the trust. Model what this could look like in your classroom with a simple example: done live or through a simple document. Motivating teachers – Presenting information from a credible source Use EEF Teaching and Learning toolkit and Hattie’s to show the effect size of using this approach. Share where you have found your key information on Explicit Instruction: 5 a day approach: Books, blogs etc There is a balance to be achieved when it comes to sharing sources with busy teachers. Presenting credible information can be counterproductive if it is done in a way that isn’t considerate of staff workload. See Flip book that highlights the research for this strategy. Share simple tools

Build knowledge – Managing cognitive load You might deliver a session to all staff in September, carefully outlining the Five - a - day approach. When planning this session, consider what staff know already. Additionally, you may decide not to cover all five approaches in one go, but to take a staggered approach.

Share simple tools Share simple tools: 5 a day poster Practical examples: scaffolding poster

Motivating teachers – Presenting information from a credible source In your INSET session, or via some pre reading if appropriate, show colleagues that there is good evidence underpinning the ‘Five - a - day’ approach. For instance, you could show them the Metacognition and self - regulation page from the EEF’s Teaching and Learning Toolkit, or share a recommendation from the guidance report on the same topic. See Flip book that highlights the research for each strategy.

Developing teaching techniques – Modelling the technique. You could model some of the questions that you might ask pupils when taking a metacognitive approach. Share some of the visual scaffolds you might use to support pupils to be inde pendent learners. Remember, just like our pupils, our teaching colleagues also learn via model ling and deliberate practice. Use Flip book with a wealth of videos. Book in CPD from our experts at the trust. Model the strategy within your team after using the SET resources and do this live. Give the SET videos as a pre - reading for staff. Embedding practice – Providing prompts and cues Too often, PD programmes can fail be cause teachers see them as disparate, one - off events. Instead, you might work with senior leaders to ensure that you can build upon the momentum gathered, long after your initial session. More than simply sharing your slides, you might plan a series of prompts and cues in the coming weeks to reinforce your message. This could be in writing, as part of a staff bulletin; orally, as part of a staff meeting; or on film, as part of seeing these techniques being tried out in practice. It might be celebratory, pub licly praising colleagues who embed this into their practice.

Developing teaching techniques – Modelling the technique. It is crucial to demonstrate the strategy in action. In role as class teacher (or even through a filmed lesson, where possible), show colleagues the steps involved in Explicit Instruc tion. Use Flip book with a wealth of vide os. Book in CPD from our experts at the trust. Model the strategy within your team after using the SET resources for inspiration and do this live. Give the SET videos to staff as a pre reading for staff. Embedding practice – Providing prompts and cues. Plan out a series of training sessions throughout the year. Organise open door fortnights where staff share best practice live. Share reminders in staff briefing and via emails and T&L newsletter. Share the SET T&L newsletter for staff on the SEND 5 a day approach through out the year. Attend the SET HUB meetings for SEND 5 a day, T&L, QA, SEND, subjects etc. Book further SET directors to come in and conduct an informal QA proce dure in collaboration with school staff, to help SLT highlight excellence and further areas to develop.

Implementation Guidance While English schools are becoming some of the most research engaged in the world, engagement with evidence does not automatically lead to changes in prac tice. Effective implementation is critical for turning an awareness of evidence into tangible changes in practices and improved outcomes. The updated guidance report provides a foundation that schools and system leaders can use to focus on what really matters in driving effective implementation. The NEW guidance on effective implementation – and its accompanying resources – are designed to help you make sure new approaches or practices have the biggest possible impact on children and young people’s outcomes. A School’s Guide to Implementation | EEF (educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk)

Based on a new review of the evidence, the updated guidance is focused on three key elements: The behaviours that drive effective implementation. The contextual factors that facilitate implementation. A structured, but flexible , process to enact implementation. The process is designed to support you to do implementation, while the behaviours and contextual factors help you to do it well.

Exemplar Implementation Plan

Editable version of the “Build your own implementation plan”

Editable implementation plan template | Education Endowment Foundation (d2tic4wvo1iusb.cloudfront.net)

When creating a 12 - 24 month implementation plan, A good preplanning tool would be: Build your own implementation plan | Education Endowment Foundation (d2tic4wvo1iusb.cloudfront.net) Designing an implementation plan: Define the problem: The ‘problem’ column of an implementation plan should be completed using the evidence and insights that emerge during the Explore phase when assessing needs, current practices, and implementation barriers. Specify the intervention: Established, evidence - based programmes can provide schools with a set of defined core components Select a tailored package of implementation strategies: The aim should be to use strategies that reinforce each other at different levels — those aimed at individual practitioners as well as those relevant to departmental teams or school - level change. Design a way of monitoring implementation: Monitoring enables ongoing learning and improvement as implementation progresses; it helps schools understand what’s working, for whom, in which circumstances, and why. Specify the final outcomes: It is likely that these final outcomes will include pupil - level outcomes such as attainment and attendance. Implementation leaders should establish what measures and methods will be used to evaluate these changes, for example, comparing different cohorts or tracking longitudinal data. All info taken from: A School's Guide to Implementation guidance report | Education Endowment Foundation (d2tic4wvo1iusb.cloudfront.net)

As the name suggests “Explicit Instruction” is a teacher led direct ap proach to teaching, where pupils are fully guided and supported through there learning process! Explicit Instruction is supported by extensive research and has been identified as a highly effective instructional approach, particularly for improving student learning outcomes, especially among diverse student populations. Research shows that when teachers actively teach students, they have over 3 times the effect on students’ results than they do when they try to facilitate learning. (Hattie 2009) Explicit Instruction promotes equity and inclusion by ensuring that all students have access to high - quality instruction and the support they need to succeed, regardless of their background or abilities.

The foundation of Explicit Instruction has been taken from the book by Archer and Hughes. In the book it outlines the foundations when teaching using explicit Instruction

1. Focus Instruction on critical content 2. Sequence skills logically 3. Break down complex skills and strategies into smaller instructional units. 4. Design organised and focused lessons. 5. Begin lessons with a clear statement of the lesson's goals and your expectations. 6. Review prior skills and knowledge before beginning instruction. 7. Provide step by step demonstrations 8. Use clear and concise language 9. Provide an adequate range of examples and non - examples . 10.Provide guided and supported practice 11.Require frequent responses . 12. Monitor student performance closely. 13.Provide immediate affirmative and corrective feedback .

14.Deliver the lesson at a brisk pace. 15.Help students organise knowledge. 16.Provide distributed and cumulative practice .

In Anita's own words

https://youtu.be/i - qNpFtcynI

Explicit Instruction should be used when: Teaching new information.

Teaching novices (vs experts). Teaching struggling learners.

Implementing Explicit Instruction Sharing the learning intentions. Share with the pupils the goal of the lesson and the relevance of the knowledge and skills being taught. Chunking Principle two of Rosenshines “principle of Instruction”( 1986) states that teachers should present new material, including knowledge and skills into small steps. Teacher Explanation aspect of the lesson Teacher is sharing the knowledge with their pupils. Our working memories have a limited capacity, can easily become overloaded. Especially when dealing with unfamiliar content. Good teacher explanation supports pupils to thinjk by: Breaking knowledge down into steps. Highlighting key ideas Building on what pupils already know. 3 modes of delivery when doing the “ teacher explanation of the lesson ”

Explaining Modelling Demonstrating

Different modes will suit different contexts.

Component

Description

Key Points

Explanation

Clearly tell the pupils the specified info, what works well when explaining the concept.

- Clear definitions plus example. - Use concrete examples

Modelling

Work through a process/series, articulating the steps clearly as you go

- Articulate the steps - Share the process out loud

Demonstrating

Teacher uses a physical object to show a process or concept

- Draws attention to the most important feature - Share thought process

To be effective teacher explanation must be carefully planned. 1.Identify what pupils need to know and be able to do. “I want my pupils to be able to know….” “I want my pupils to be able to….” 2.Build on prior knowledge 3. Script explanations ( where possible) To get the most out of teacher explanation students need to think hard, teachers should ask questions during the explanations. During the explanation students shouldn’t be passive, They should be thinking about their new learning. Please see the list of videos on teacher explanation. Questioning and Checking for Understanding Questioning and Checking for Understanding is crucial to Explicit Instruction, as it helps the teacher to decide the level of guidance required by pupils and when this can be scaled back. They also help pupils to learn new material with fewer errors, generating high levels of success in both guided and independent work.

School_Planning_Guide_2022 - 23.pdf (d2tic4wvo1iusb.cloudfront.net) Diagnostic_Assessment_Tool.pdf (d2tic4wvo1iusb.cloudfront.net)

Some other examples Cold calling

Think Pair Share Mini White boards

Modelling See previous info on Teacher Explanations. Initially, pupils should observe the teacher completing the task, narrating each step and thinking out loud. Often referred to as LIVE MODELLING/Teacher explanation ( See videos). This is to ensure attention and prevent cognitive overloud, it may be best for pupils to simply listen rather than copying or being involved themselves at this stage. This should then progress onto the teacher asking pupils how to complete the next steps in the task. This helps with engagement and allows the teacher to assess whether they are able to complete the process independently. I do, we do and you do (See Videos) Practice Practice is required to transfer information from the working memory to the long term memory (Rosenshines. 1986). It therefore aids long term retention of knowledge and skills and their ability to retrieve this content in the future. This frees up working memory to process new knowledge and complete challenging tasks (APA, 2015). Scașolding Guided Practice (More detailed info in the scaffolding chapter) Initially practice should be fully guided. This ensures that pupils achieve a high level of success: literature suggest a success rate of approx. 80% during the initial practice is optimum (Archer and Hughes, 2012). Scaffolds mean that pupils do not have to use their working memory to remember the process or the steps. This is especially important in helping pupils to complete complex tasks and problem - solving activities (EEF, 2021). Scaffolded guidance

Teacher - led practice

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· Verbal prompts and reminders · Partially completed questions or tasks · Sentence starters or other writing aids · Written checklists · Models · Worked examples

Feedback Immediate feedback should be given on practice, including independent practice. It should be affirmative and corrective feedback. Can include feedback to individuals, highlighting mistakes and asking pupils to correct them. Whole class feedback, such as alerting the class to common mistakes, and sharing good examples of students work (Allison et al 2015). Spaced Practice To learn a new concept, pupils must revisit and practice multiple times. Review Review of the core content/concepts of the lesson. This strengthens previous learning and frees up working memory. Weekly and monthly reviews prevents forgetting and allows for effortless recall .

Cognitive Strategies

As Professor Becky Francis explains: “One of the most important questions educational research can ask is how children learn”. If we know how they process and retain information, we can adapt our approach to teaching accordingly and in turn, increase effectiveness.

Learning V’s Performance Performance: Immediate change in behaviour or knowledge that can be observed and measured. Learning: Lasting change in capabilities and understanding, which happens over time and is hard to observe.

Performance

Learning

Managing Cognitive Load

A key goal for all teachers is to help their pupils learn and remember what they have learned . The good news is that we know a lot about how learning works and the role that memory plays. Memory is a crucial factor in learning , affecting our ability to pay attention, remember, and use information. Teachers need to understand the role that memory plays in learning and design lessons that maximise its potential. The following simple model of memory, devised by Professor of Psychology Daniel Willingham , can tell us a lot about how learning works. We learn when information is transferred from our environment , through our working memory to our long term memory, and effectively stored there.

https://youtu.be/gz - VPOtgLXg? si=mluXcLrjyZ8zDJf7

Simple Model of Memory

Working memory is where conscious, effortful thinking takes place and we use our working memory all of the time. Working memory has a very limited capacity. It can only hold on to around 4 chunks of information at once, and if you bombard working memory with too much information, it can't hold on to it. Working memory becomes overloaded.

The model starts with the environment . There are thousands of things in the environment that you could pay attention too.

Working Memory (site of awareness and thinking)

Environment

Attention

Learning

Remembering

Long - term memory (factual and

Forgotten

procedural knowledge)

Learning is a change in your long term memory. We easily forget information. Within minutes or hours we will lose the detail of the new information that we've learnt, so we need lots of opportunities to revisit the information, to actively retrieve that information from our long term memory so that we can make that information stick.

Cognitive Strategies to teach in a way that helps to overcome the limitations of the working memory and harness its strengths. Drawing on prior knowledge : it's useful to get pupils to commit some foundational knowledge to their long term memory first. There are several ways in which we can assess students’ prior knowledge as they travel through our curriculum:

KWL (Know, Want to know, Learnt) charts.

- a low - stakes quizzing. - Infographics: Mind maps, Venn Diagrams - Think, pair Share

· Teacher Explanation: When teaching new content, we need to avoid introducing too much material at once and break the material down into manageable chunks and provide scaffolds where needed. Remove any unhelpful distractions like unnecessary classroom noise or redundant words in our explanation. · Research shows that explicit instruction is more effective and efficient for teaching new content and skills to novices. · Give pupils plenty of opportunities to practise when learning new content. Initially practice should be fully guided. This ensures that pupils achieve a high level of success: literature suggest a success rate of approx. 80% during the initial practice is optimum (Archer and Hughes, 2012). · Retrieve content from our long term memory helps to make it stick. · Drawing students attention to the core content of the lesson and repeating this. · Making purposeful connections to students' prior knowledge within the lesson and the curriculum. · Sequencing your curriculum purposefully and planning opportunities to retrieve the core content.

Forgetting Curve

For more information to manage cognitive load and some of the infor mation described in this stand see link:

https://d2tic4wvo1iusb.cloudfront.net/production/documents/ beneath_the_surface_of_cognitive_science.pdf

Metacognitive Strategies

Metacognition The word is derived from the Greek root word "meta" (meaning "beyond") and the Latin word "cognoscere" (meaning "getting to know"). It refers to one’s ability to be aware of their thoughts and choosing a helpful thought process. This allows them to: - analyse how they think,

- have high self - awareness and control of their thoughts, - choose appropriate and helpful strategies for each task.

Metacognitive strategies have been highlighted by the Education Endowment Foundation as one of the most cost - effective ways to help to help students improve for a reason – here are some of the benefits of developing metacognition:

· Metacognition and self - regulation can add up to 7 months of additional progress . · Metacognitive training positively impacts those with a lower baseline of metacognition the most, making it especially helpful for struggling students . · Metacognition has been shown to increase grades by 4% on average, up to 10% for lower performing students. · Metacognitive skills learnt in one situation are transferrable to another. · Self - questioning, a metacognitive strategy, creates stronger connections within the brain, which means better memory. · Being aware of how much you do or don’t know helps avoid the Dunning - Kruger Effect. · Better metacognitive regulation allows students to control their negative thoughts and emotions.

This short animation aims to cut through the complexity by providing a clear example of metacognition in practice.

https://youtu.be/sAik_RQY_Dg

Summary_of_recommendations_poster_2021 - 10 - 27 - 151056_qiiz_2021 - 10 - 29 - 074723_miux.pdf (d2tic4wvo1iusb.cloudfront.net)

This guidance report reviews the best available research to offer teachers and senior leaders practical advice on how to develop their pupils’ metacognitive skills and knowledge. The report has recommendations in seven areas and ‘myth busts’ common misconceptions teachers have about metacognition.

https://youtu.be/dhQpLR19 - 1Q? si=RC2C_MjHs5eR - iOO

https://youtu.be/k5hIkZy2jv0? si=wE3VBpbX3qZIqnmA

Hierarchy of learners ‘Tacit’ learners are aware of their metacognitive knowledge. They do not think about any particular strategies for learning and merely accept if they know something or not. ‘Aware’ learners know about some of the kinds of thinking that they do - generating ideas, finding evidence etc - but thinking is not necessarily deliberate or planned. ‘Strategic’ leaners organise their thinking by using problem solving, grouping and classifying, evidence seeking, decision making, etc They know and apply different strategies that help them learn. ‘Reflective’ learners are not only strategic about their learning, but they also reflect upon their learning whilst is it happening, considering the success or not of any strategies they’re using and then revising them as appropriate.

Planning: Before a task

Think about what worked previously and what the first step might be, by students asking questions to themselves, such as: · “Is this similar to a previous task?” · “What do I want to achieve?” · “What should I do first?” This can save hours later on and asking yourself questions also kickstarts your brain into searching for answers, meaning more engaged and efficient students.

Planning

Monitoring: During a task

Check that you’re staying on track and that what you’ve been doing is working. Students to ask themselves: · “What can I do differently?” · “Who can I ask for help?” Monitoring saves precious time that could otherwise be wasted on ineffective strategies.

Monitoring

Evaluating: After a task

Have a self - debrief, regardless of the outcome. Ideal questions are: “What worked well?” “What could I have done better?” “Can I apply this to other situations?” This helps identify areas to improve, set new goals and develop strategies to use in the future.

Evaluation

Nine questions that directly foster these metacognitive strategies: 1. Is this similar to a previous task? 2. What do I want to achieve?

3. What should I do first? 4. Am I on the right track? 5. What can I do differently? 6. Who can I ask for help? 7. What worked well? 8. What could I have done better? 9. Can I apply this to other situations?

Making these questions part of your students’ everyday learning will not only help them develop their metacognitive abilities but also create a more engaging and effective learning environment.

Supporting - knowledge - of - self - through - modelling - tools.pdf (d2tic4wvo1iusb.cloudfront.net)

Some further practical strategies for applying metacognition in the classroom Teachers play a vital role in supporting metacognition in the classroom. Strategies might include:

Explicit instruction: Explicitly teach students about metacognition, providing them with examples of metacognitive strategies such as goal - setting, monitoring and self reflection. Metacognitive questioning: Questions such as “What do I already know about this topic?” or “What strategies can I use to solve this problem?” prompt students to engage in reflective thinking and self - assessment. Think - alouds: When teachers verbalise their own thought processes as they solve problems or analyse texts, students are given access to the strategies employed by experts. Reflection activities : Provide prompts for students to reflect on their learning experiences, to identify areas of strength and to set goals for improvement. Peer collaboration: Working with peers not only exposes students to diverse perspectives but also provides opportunities for metacognitive dialogue, where students can articulate their thought processes and learn from each other.

Schools Auditing Toolkit: EEF

7 - SchoolAuditTool_2021 - 10 - 27 - 150642_ztrf_2021 - 10 - 29 - 074724_zdeo.pdf (d2tic4wvo1iusb.cloudfront.net)

To establish current practice teaching practice as well as monitor progress towards the development of more effective practice (i.e. direction of travel). This is a useful audit tool.

7 - SchoolAuditTool_2021 - 10 - 27 - 150642_ztrf_2021 - 10 - 29 - 074724_zdeo.pdf (d2tic4wvo1iusb.cloudfront.net)

If you are interested in embedding more metacognitive strategies into lessons , see the 7 step model, which offers a useful framework to support teachers in developing their pupils independence.

Seven_step_model_1.0.pdf (d2tic4wvo1iusb.cloudfront.net)

Scaffolding is a metaphor for temporary support that is removed when no longer required providing ‘enough support so that pupils can successfully complete tasks that they could not yet do independently’. . It may be visual, verbal or written. SEN in Mainstream guidance report, EEF, 2020

Scaffolding plays a critical role in supporting pupils with SEND. Initial practice should be guided to ensure pupils achieve a high success rate, with literature suggesting approximately 80% success is optimal (Archer and Hughes, 2011). Scaffolding can help prevent misconceptions and errors from being encoded (Lemov, 2012), ensuring that pupils can later achieve fully independent practice.

Scaffolding reduces the cognitive load on pupils, allowing them to focus on the task at hand without overburdening their working memory, especially for complex tasks (EEF, 2012). Expert teachers use scaffolding as a strategic method to facilitate learning, thinking of it as a "temporary adaptive structure" that aids in moving students towards independence (Shvarts and Bakker, 2019). Through scaffolding, teachers provide the necessary support during the learning process, gradually removing it as students become more proficient and confident in their abilities.

5 - a - Day_Reflection_Tool_2023.pdf (d2tic4wvo1iusb.cloudfront.net)

Further Examples of Scaffolds (not exhaustive)

· I do, We do and You do approach: faded guided practice. · Verbal prompts and reminders. · Pre - teach the vocabulary. · Partially - completed sentences. · Knowledge organisers. · Live model concept maps. · Further repetition · Explicit scaffolds for verbal responses e.g advantages….whereas disadvantages. · Worked examples: live or pre - planned. · Break the task down into chunks

Finding the sweet spot!

The purpose of scaffolding is not to make content ‘easier’; we still want all pupils to be challenged. If we over - scaffold, then pupils may only process the content on a superficial level; if we under - scaffold, then we risk pupils not being able to process the information at all. Finding the ‘sweet spot’ relies on the teachers tailoring the scaffolding to best meet their pupils’ understanding (Pol et al, 2015). When used effectively, scaffolding can enable pupils to achieve learning goals that would otherwise have been impossible for them (Didau & Rose, 2016).

Fading the scaffold

Scaffolding is necessary but temporary! The aim is always to remove that support when it is no longer required (EEF, 2020). However, scaffolds need to be faded, meaning they should be removed gradually depending on how pupils’ understanding progresses.

Assessment It’s important to continuously assess student progress to provide timely feedback to guide the students learning. This allows you to adjust scaffolding strategies as needed based on students' evolving needs and progress.

Benefits Achieve their goals independently Use the skills/knowledge gained and apply it to a range of situations Motivates students. Students gain confidence, they remain focused. Reduce anxiety which can arise from making mistakes.

Teacher Handbook: SEND This handbook has been developed as a resource for teachers to use over time as they embed inclusive practice in their classrooms: it is not intended that it is read cover - to cover. It has been written for both primary, secondary and specialist colleagues: teaching assistants, teachers, senior leaders and headteachers. The handbook includes whole - school and whole class approaches as well as subject specific and condition - specific guidance. Find more resources at: www.wholeschoolsend.org.uk

High - quality teaching for pupils with SEND uses grouping of peers meaningfully in relation to specific learning outcomes . Effective teaching means groupings of peers are brought together for explicit purposes rather than being fixed. For example, to promote reading fluency, Chard et al. (2002) found that, ‘using grouping practices that allow more proficient readers to guide less able readers is also an effective way to build fluency. Wissinger et al. (2018) found that, to improve reading of history texts, structured collaborative interaction among peers was effective. The authors described this as students working in peer - mediated groups to work collaboratively on tasks such as reviewing background information, reading and analysing source documents and completing graphic organisers and in heterogeneous groups to discuss perspectives and analyse historical problems. Dennis et al. (2016), in their examination of the effect of teaching approaches on outcomes for pupils with ‘maths learning difficulties’ [specific learning difficulties relating to maths], found the largest effect sizes (unbiased effect size estimate = 0.82) for peer - assisted learning.

Static Grouping V’s Flexible Grouping

Static Grouping

Flexible Grouping

Keeps students in the same groups for weeks or months.

Organises students intentionally

Don’t switch up groups according to tasks

Groups are fluid for different learning experiences

Rob students of opportunities to earn from peers and develop relationships with ALL of their peers

Groups are for short periods of time e.g. lesson, week, 2 weeks

Groups are well matched to the task and take into account characteristics not just academic ability

The why: What culture do you want to create?

The stark reality of fixed ability grouping is poignantly captured in a reflection from a classroom setting (Extract from Mary Myatt 2012).

The first day the children were back we asked them what they thought of ability groups. The answers were astounding. The ‘more able’ loved it they enjoyed being the ‘bright ones’ and having special challenges set by the teacher. They also saw working with the teacher as a negative. The ‘middle groups’ were annoyed that they didn't get the same work and challenges as the other group: They wanted to try harder work, but they had worked out they would never be moved up as they were only six seats on the top table. The ‘less able’ were affected the most, they felt ‘dumb’, useless, they thought they would never be allowed challenges as they usually work with the teaching assistants (some by year five were completely dependent on the teaching assistant to help them). The ‘less able’ group liked the sound of some of the challenges the top group had, but knew they would never get the chance.

This account highlights the emotional and academic stratification fostered by fixed ability grouping. The ‘more able’ students develop a sense of superiority but also see direct teacher interaction negatively. The ‘middle groups’ feel stagnant and deprived of opportunities to challenge themselves. Most concerning is the impact on the ‘less able’ students, who develop a dependency on support and a fixed mindset about their capabilities.

Planning for flexible grouping

Grouping Planner

Use or purpose of group ing What learning experience has prompted the decision to group?

Practicing/Applying Skills Investigating New Content Examining a Text, Data Set etc Working on a project

Duration How long will this grouping last?

Less than a class period A class period

Less than a week More than a week

Student Characteristics What characteristics matter for this task or learning expe rience?

Readiness/Skill Level Interest Preferred Way of Learning/ Thinking

Experience Background

Composition Should the group be homoge neous or heterogeneous by student characteristics?

Homogeneous Heterogeneous

Configuration Size What is the best configuration for this learning activity? What size makes sense, given the goal?

Partners Circles (groups of 6 - 8) Small groups ______ Split class

Formation How will the groups be formed

Teacher choice Student Choice Randomly

Flexible Grouping “Warm Up”

Day 1 / Grouping 1

Students line up according to their birth date (month/day) and the teacher divides them into partners Students receive a playing card and for “same suit” trios Students us ethe same playing card (or a new one) to form “like number” squads. Students form “four corners” groups by re porting to the areas of the room that corre sponds to their favourite food: pizza, burg ers, tacos, or smoothies; they subdivide into trios or quads. Students line up in ROY G BIV order accord ing to clothing color. The teacher “folds” the line to give students a partner from the op posite end of the spectrum.

Day 2 / Grouping 2 Day 3 / Grouping 3 Day 4 / Grouping 4

Day 5 / Grouping 5

Planning for flexible grouping isn’t difficult or time - consuming, but it does take some thought. · Should students stay in whole group or work in partners? · Is it better if they read alone or in a trio? · Are groups of four too big or too small for a Jigsaw? · Can students choose their own teams, or should the teacher? · Does skill level matter most for the group task, or interest?

Key Considerations for Implementing Flexible Grouping.

Purpose and Duration of Group Activities: Determine the objectives of the group work: Will students practice or apply a skill, explore new content, analyse data, or work on a project? · Ensure that the task is better accomplished collaboratively rather than independently. · Align the duration of the group work with the complexity and scope of the task.

Student Characteristics and Group Composition:

· Assess the skills and readiness levels of students. Group them based on their mastery of relevant skills (e.g., reading complex texts or solving equations). · Consider grouping students by similar interests to enhance motivation. Subsequently, mix these groups to broaden their perspectives. · Use students' content preferences (e.g., reading vs. watching videos) to form homogeneous groups where beneficial.

Group Size and Configuration: ·

Match the group size to the task: smaller groups (3 - 4 students) for detailed tasks like Jigsaw activities, medium - sized groups (4 and above students) for discussions, and larger groups for debates. · Ensure the configuration aligns with the specific goals of the activity, promoting effective interaction and engagement.

Formation and Monitoring of Groups: · Teachers maintain control over group formation, even when allowing for student choice or random criteria (e.g., birthday month, height). · Regularly adjust group configurations to provide varied collaboration experiences over time. · Monitor group dynamics and effectiveness, making adjustments as needed to ensure all students benefit from the flexible grouping approach.

By thoughtfully considering these factors, teachers can implement flexible grouping strategies that enhance learning outcomes and foster a more inclusive classroom environment.

Laying the foundation for flexible grouping.

· To set the tone for flexible grouping, let students know at the year’s outset that they will be switching groups frequently. · Think about your learners: e.g. those the struggle with change (autistic spectrum disorder) how can you prepare them in advance.

What can flexible grouping look like in practice?

Allocating groups flexibly, based on the individual needs that pupils currently share with other pupils. Grouping pupils together where they all need additional instruction to carry out a skill, remember a fact or understand a concept. Setting up opportunities for collaborative learning across a heterogenous group , for example pupils with a range of attainment levels. Using formative assessment around particular tasks and topics to determine what groupings will best support pupils with specific pieces of learning.

“To date, technology has been most effective when it is used to supplement or enhance teaching, rather than to replace it” Technology can be a powerful tool when it comes to creating inclusive classrooms. Students with SEND often have the capability to master high - level subject content, however, we know that, often, barriers to learning can prevent access to the curriculum. The small changes we can make through using technology in lessons can help to remove these barriers, resulting in better engagement and motivation; use of technology can also support pupils with the processing, embedding, consolidating, recording and application of knowledge. This can enable students with SEND to access and excel with your curriculum.

Sir Kevan Collins, Chief Executive, EEF states that: ‘The question is no longer whether technology should have a place in the classroom, but how technology can most effectively be integrated.’ To echo Sir Kevan's sentiment, the primary focus for teachers should not be solely on providing every student with a laptop, but rather on effectively utilising digital technology to enhance the learning experience and improve access to the curriculum. Using technology is one of the strands of the Education Endowment Foundation recommended SEND five - a - day approach which states: “The evidence review for this guidance report found evidence that, for pupils with SEND, technology can be a useful tool for supporting teaching. Successful approaches could include using: • instructional apps — apps that provide instruction, modelling, or practice opportunities for a wide range of skills; • non - instructional apps — apps that provide tools to aid learning, such as note taking apps; and • speech - generating apps to augment the communication skills of pupils with communication difficulties.”

More guidance on the successful use of technology can be found in the EEF guidance report, Using Digital Technology to Improve Learning.

Using Digital Technology to Improve Learning | EEF (educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk)

EEF_Digital_Technology_Summary_of_Recommendations.pdf (d2tic4wvo1iusb.cloudfront.net)

The EEF’s 2019 guidance report ‘Using Digital Technology to Improve Learning’ states that in this digital age, the question is no longer whether technology should have a place in the classroom but how technology can be effectively integrated to improve learning . Technology is much more likely to improve learning if it is introduced in response to an identified need. One way of reducing the risk of technology being ‘a solution in search of a problem’ is to ensure that school leaders focus first on defining the problem to be solved before identifying programmes or practices to implement as the solution. So, when we are thinking about technology and SEND, we should take the focus away from the labels attached to children. Instead, we should consider what it is that each child needs help with .

Technology doesn’t just offer assistance to students with SEND, it benefits everyone. It can improve the speed of working or presentation. For SEND students it can help create continuity between home and school, as well as allow greater independence. For most students, allowing for repetition and rehearsal space has a positive impact on motivation and self - esteem. For example, those on the autistic spectrum will often engage and socialise on screen in a way they find difficult away from the screen.

What Assistive Technology is available?

· Apple has a VoiceOver screen reader to describe what is on the screen. Other functions also include zoom, text display options, increase contrast, invert colours, grayscale, subtitles, speech options and touch accommodations. They also have audio options to communicate with hearing aids. If you suffer hearing loss in one ear, the iPad’s Mono Audio setting can combine the right and left audio channels so that both channels can be heard in either earbud. https://support.apple.com/en - gb/guide/ipad/ipad9a2465f9/ipados

Similarly, Windows has functionalities such as narrator, magnifier, high contrast and the options to enlarge the mouse and keyboard on screen.

https://www.dummies.com/category/articles/windows - 33532 /

· Microsoft . Word offers the user to dictate, read aloud and translate. These are great for students who struggle with a keyboard. There is also an immersive reader which can change features such as page spacing, colours and contrast. It also allows the user to bring up a ‘letterbox’ that lets the reader view line by line. Microsoft Edge browser also has a great built - in screen reader. However, one of Microsoft’s best features is on PowerPoint. The user has the option to add instant subtitles as they present. This means that as a teacher talks to the class, the PowerPoint can immediately present a transcription.

https://www.microsoft.com/en - us/education/learning - tools/accessibility - tools

· Google docs also offer dictation so that students can use their voice to type. Although it doesn’t have the option to read the text back you can get great addons such as Read and Write. https://support.google.com/docs/answer/6282736?hl=en GB&co=GENIE.Platform%3DDesktop

· Wordshark was initially developed to help dyslexic students, specialising in teaching reading and spelling. However, it has even proven popular with post grad students for learning vocab. Computer games provide a non - judgemental environment to learn spellings, without the fear of failure. Wordshark - Wordshark & Numbershark · Widgit Online is used by learners to create text through the help of sym bols. These symbols can be great to help prompt students with what they want to say or what they have said. Additionally, colourful semantics help develop grammar and sentence construction skills. The tools are also used by teachers to create communication books to help individuals express themselves or to aid communication with parents who may not speak English. The ability to create visual timetables is another great feature. · Clicker 8 is a child - friendly word processor. It includes speech feedback, a talking spell checker and a word predictor. You can use Clicker with symbols to support pupils with special literacy or communication needs as they take part in reading, writing and communication activities. The function of Clicker Grids ena bles pupils to build sentences word - by - word from Word Banks. The new ‘Picturise’ button instantly adds pictures to any Clicker Grid, helping children to find the word they want. It also has accessibility functions such as an on - screen keyboard that breaks the keys down into six large clusters. Clicker 8 can also work with any eye gaze system and switches. Widgit Online

Clicker for Windows / Mac - Literacy software | Crick Software

· DocsPlus is a model of Clicker 8 for secondary education. It can help organise ideas and planning writing tasks with a built - in mind mapping tool and an audio note creator. Intelligent word prediction, writing frames, curriculum vocabulary banks and speech feedback tools help learners to write and proof work. Additionally, DocsPlus’ built - in DocReader will read aloud any PDF or Word document (including exam papers) in a clear, realistic - sounding voice. DocsPlus - Educational Software | Crick Software · Gotalk NOW is similar to Clicker 8 as an interactive display communication app compatible with the iPad. It allows the learner and teachers to create Communication Books with interactive message buttons.