SEND Five-a-day

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.