School Age (Y1 - Y11)

Effective teaching and learning for pupils from Year 1 to Year 11 are underpinned by a broad, balanced and inclusive curriculum aligned with the National Curriculum and statutory guidance. While these frameworks set out what CYP should learn, they do not prescribe a single approach and both curriculum and teaching should be thoughtfully adapted to reflect the needs, strengths, and context of the school community and its cohorts, ensuring all CYP can access learning and make meaningful progress.

High-quality teaching is characterised by clear sequencing, explicit instruction alongside active engagement, and responsive adaptation to meet pupils' needs. Evidence-informed strategies such as modelling, questioning, retrieval and feedback, support pupils to build knowledge and make sustained progress.

Strong relationships, high expectations and a positive learning environment support engagement whilst developing independence and resilience. In this way, teaching across Year 1 to Year 11 prepares pupils for successful progression for the next phase of their education, training and employment.

Adults are aware of and understand individual needs and make reasonable adjustments accordingly.

• Teachers use the systems that are in place in settings to ensure they are aware of all individual pupils' needs, and that those with medical needs are receiving the required support in line with both DfE recommendations, and health and safety requirements.
• All staff are made aware of the strengths, barriers to learning (including non-academic) and interests of CYP, including those with SEND, along with appropriate teaching strategies and how best to provide inclusive support.
• Gather all CYP voices regardless of their age or ability. Use this information to adapt and tailor teaching and support.
• Support CYP to understand their own barriers to learning and to value their achievements, progress and strengths. CYP are aware of their progress and the next steps in moving learning forward and support is given for building resilience in continuing to apply skills.
• Where there is an identified need, the following reasonable adjustments are made available as required:
  • CYP are given time to process information before being asked to respond.
  • Tasks are broken down into small manageable steps. These steps are shown explicitly.
  • Pre-teaching of specific language/concepts (across all curriculum areas) with key vocabulary prompts on tables.
  • Structured teaching approaches are used (e.g. visual timetables, clear concise instructions with written or visual prompts such as now and next cards).
  • Adjustment of pace, consideration of the order and/or number of activities to maintain attention.
  • Alternative methods of recording are available and become the normal way of working in line with any access arrangements.
  • Opportunities for practical experiences to support reinforcement, over learning and generalisation.
  • Lessons that include physical activity or movement are well-organised, structured and planned to promote full access.
  • More detail is given about additional reasonable adjustments for each of the Broad Areas of Need in the relevant sections: Communication and Interaction - SLCN, Communication and Interaction - SCI, Cognition and Learning, Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH), Physical and Sensory including Visual Impairment and Deafness

High-quality teaching is in place to support all CYP, including those with SEND, to learn and make progress.

• Establish strong, positive relationships between staff and CYP, with adults taking time to talk to CYP and listen to them and building on their strengths and identifying what they need in the moment.
• Teachers have high expectations for all CYP regardless of their needs and use appropriate assessment to set ambitious targets.
• Ensure a broad and balanced curriculum is available and made accessible to all CYP.
• Plan lessons which have clear and achievable objectives (understood by CYP and referred to by staff).
• Ensure teaching builds on what CYP already know, can do and understand.
• Anticipate common misconceptions and address these through teaching.
• Teachers use explicit modelling, including the thinking behind why an approach is successful (an example of metacognition) to support CYP with their executive functioning.  More information about executive functioning and metacognition can be found in the Cognition and Learning section.
• Teachers explicitly teach new vocabulary, including pre-teaching for some CYP.
• Ensure scaffolds are in place (e.g. sentence starters, visuals, worked examples) to support CYP to access the learning.
• Teachers make use of concrete resources, along with other visual and kinaesthetic representations, to support learning.
• Give CYP time to engage in purposeful practice of new skills to reinforce existing learning, including overlearning for some CYP, to support the transfer to long term memory (e.g. repetition, revisiting, retrieval, to support retention).
• Embed strategies to improve motivation, attention and engagement into learning activities (e.g. tasks linked to CYP's interests and aspirations, targeted questioning to maintain focus).
• Use movement breaks for the whole class rather than singling out individuals (e.g. completing the daily mile as a whole class).
• Where appropriate, create high quality learning walls which provide prompts for CYP to reflect on previous learning.
•  Use technology is effectively to support CYP achievement.
  • Technology may include instructional apps (apps that provide instruction, modelling, or practice opportunities for a wide range of skills) and non-instructional apps (apps that provide tools to aid learning, such as note-taking apps).
• Plan interventions to ensure minimum disruption to the CYP's inclusion and timetable, ensuring that opportunities for targeted support are provided in the classroom where possible, and that CYP are not persistently withdrawn from the classroom or regularly miss the same lessons.
• Ensure interventions are structured, directed by the teacher and result from pre-planning between the teacher and intervention leader.

All CYP have the opportunity to work in different ways.

• Plan teaching to enable individual and small group work and include opportunities for:
  • Flexible groupings - CYP are allocated to groups flexibly based on the individual needs that they currently share with other CYP. Groups are formed for an explicit purpose and disbanded when that purpose is met. E.g. a small group of CYP share the need for more explicit instruction to independently perform a skill, remember a fact, or understand a concept.
  • Mixed ability grouping to enable role-modelling/learning through teaching others
  • Flexible group sizes - large, small or pairs as required to facilitate successful interaction
  • Group working is used foster collaborative learning and the opportunity to work alongside a different range of adults and pupils on a regular basis.
• Use groupings, seating arrangements and additional support to promote independent learning as far as possible.
• Encourage and value CYP voice when planning groupings or interventions.

Positive behaviour for learning is promoted through appropriate whole class support systems to include all CYP.

• Outline behaviour expectations (visually supported) in a whole setting Positive Behaviour Policy, ensuring these expectations are clearly communicated with all members of the school community, consistently applied by all adults and understood by all CYP.
• Ensure adults work collaboratively to support all CYP to feel safe and secure, that they belong and that they are respected and valued to have a positive self-identity. Adults support pupils to develop friendships and constructive relationships with each other and appropriate adults.
• Staff recognise all pupils and every pupil's contribution to the school community and they are meaningfully included.
• Staff support the development of self-regulation skills, with consideration of the stage of development of the CYP.
• Ensure adults understand that all behaviour is trying to communicate something about a feeling or situation.
• Ensure adults respond to behaviour from a position of acceptance, curiosity and empathy, demonstrating compassion, kindness and hope rather than blame and shame.
• Provide a suitable learning environment including access to spaces and systems to support emotional co-regulation and self-regulation. This may be within the room or an identified area of the building.
• Consider sensory needs, and ensure CYP have access to learning breaks and any sensory equipment they may require (e.g. writing slopes, pencil grips, wobble cushions, fidget toys, and ear defenders).  (More information can be found in the SEMH and Physical and Sensory sections.)
• Ensure seating plans and groupings take account of individual needs and routinely provide opportunities for:
  • access to positive role-models
  • mixed-ability groups
  • structured opportunities for conversation
  • equal access to additional adults where they are available
  • teachers plan how to support pupils to work cooperatively
• Plan well-structured lessons with visual support for those who need it (e.g. visual timetable, first and then board).
• Consistently model co-regulation and self-regulation strategies and ensure these are in place for all the CYP in the class, with reasonable adjustments made as needed (e.g. additional adult modelling before using independently). (More information can be found in the SEMH and Communication and Interaction - SCI sections).
• Use positive reinforcement to develop motivation to engage and participate in learning activities and wider opportunities.
• Ensure Positive Behaviour Support Plans are in place for individuals, if needed, shared with all adults and implemented effectively and consistently by all staff.
• Please refer to the SEMH guidance in this document which will give further clarity on best practice guidance for supporting CYP with Behaviour for Learning.

All adults work collaboratively to make a positive contribution to CYP's learning and progress.

• The class/ subject teacher is responsible for all CYP's learning and progress.  They use additional adults creatively and flexibly to teach and support learning, directed by the class or subject teacher and according to the CYP's needs, taking into account the guidance on effective TA deployment*.
• Teachers and support staff work together to identify barriers to learning and implement and review effective provision (Assess, Plan, Do, Review) together.
• Strategies used with individuals in interventions are shared with the class teacher so that there is consistency between learning in the classroom and learning in interventions.
  *Sharples, J & Blatchford, Peter & Webster, Rob. (2016). Making best use of teaching assistants.
• For CYP with an EHCP, all EHCP reviews from Year 9 onwards should include a focus on preparing for adulthood.  Planning is centred around the individual, including consideration of the CYP's aspirations and abilities, what they would like to achieve when they leave post-16 education or training, and the support they need to achieve their goals.

All CYP are given equal opportunities to access enriching provision beyond the classroom.

• Settings actively remove barriers (through reasonable adjustments) to enable all CYP, including those with SEND, to have the opportunity to participate in wider school life, including taking part in enrichment activities, attending trips and after-school clubs.
• Settings embed a range of opportunities to ensure all CYP can participate meaningfully in wider school life, including encouraging CYP to:
  • Build life skills and independence.
  • Participate in the creative arts and sports.
  • Participate in extra-curricular activities to engage CYP and increase their participation in wider school life.