Pencil grips and sounds mats again are really useful tools as all children start to learn to write but they can really add that extra support and comfort to anyone struggling in this area.

The chewy necklaces are again used for self regulation and attention.

We find having a selection of these resources help as different children will find comfort in different tools so good to have a mix.

To reduce any overload when looking at OS maps, children have either used digital technology to do this, or for SEND children, one technique suggested in the NASEN handbook was to use a paper frame so the children are able to focus on one section of the map.

Retrieval challenges are also used at the start of each lesson and as the term progresses, ensuring the children are remembering knowledge from their own year group and previous. Our Y6 class complete 'lockbox challenges' which include lots of retrieval style questions, which are engaging and exciting for the children!

Children have also been encouraged to pre-read around the topic, so teachers are able to address any misconceptions and teach any new vocabulary.

Today I decided that moving forward I could focus on giving specific feedback to children in their learning behaviour.

I have personally been motivated to practise many of the skills and strategies, especially in using higher level questioning techniques .

All teachers produce "Knowledge Organisers" at the beginning of new topics. These distil the key facts, vocabulary and images that the children will encounter over the course of the topic onto a single page. This enables the children to look back, refresh their memories and commit these key ideas to their long term memory. By distilling these key facts both pupils and teachers become more mindful of what children need to know in order for their learning to have been successful.

Alongside our knowledge organisers we use a mixture of materials to improve the retention of learning, whilst also gauging our children's own interests and topics they are curious about. These include KWL grids, exit tickets and mini quizzes.

The materials we use in our classes are high quality, and minimalist in design, which has been proven to minimise cognitive overload and ensure learners can more easily stay focused on the key content.

Adaptive teaching is evident during practical activities in the subject. Teachers plan their practical activities with SEND students in mind and ensure they’re explained in a simple, step by step process. Additional adults support those who need it.

Specific vocabulary can be supplied using word banks, whilst not all activities have to have a written element at all. Allowing the children to record their ideas in other ways is something we promote.

We all firmly believe science is a subject that everyone can achieve in. Some of our best learners in the subject are those who may have additional needs. As part of a wider push across the school we have been trying to boost the profile of underrepresented groups in science, including those from BAME backgrounds, neuro-diverse groups and increasing the profile of women in the subject.

Many of the adaptive teaching practices that are used in other subjects, such as “chunking” of instructions, explicit vocabulary teaching and good classroom management all benefit the teaching of computing at All Saints’. In addition to these strengths we benefit from up to date computer hardware. Our school’s Chromebooks have a wealth of accessibility features that enable children to access the computers more easily.

These include (amongst many others)

·        For those visually impaired learners we can change the display size and choose to enlarge all on-screen text and visuals, and easily revert back if necessary. The full screen magnifier can magnify up to 20x.

·        For children who struggle with typing there is the “ sticky keys” function-this will allow learners to create their own “short cuts” to avoid repetitive typing. There is the option to have an on screen keyboard that pupils control via the mouse

·        Large mouse cursors allow children who struggle with coordination skills to be more easily able to track the mouse cursor and control it.

·        Captions and mono sound settings can help those with hearing conditions

·        Voice controls as well as dictation settings allow children who struggle with writing and typing to more easily access programs and typing their work. ChromeVox can also read out text from the computer screen. SEND pupils are allowed headphones to help with this.

We are also rolling out provision of new tablet devices that will be primarily for the use of SEND interventions and for supporting certain children within the classroom environments.

At our school we have started to use ‘Enable Tables’ to support adaptive teaching. Children can come and help themselves to a variety of resources which will support them in their learning. So far, the most helpful resources have been word banks and sentence starters for writing lessons

In addition, we have focused on keeping the format clear and simple with just 5- 6 key questions / facts for this subject per half term, to reduce 'Cognitive Overload' and ensure that the basic information is taught to all, recapped and assessed carefully in order to remain in long term memories.

become independent and allows them to take ownership and organise themselves with equipment

that could scaffold and support their learning. We also have sentence checklist, phonics- Grow the

Codes and tricky word strip on each table to enable children to use the scaffolds available to support

independent learning.

This is an example of how we use concrete resources to support a child with significant cognition and learning difficulties. The child used Numicon to recognise numbers to 20. Then added two numbers together accurately. The concrete resources enabled the child to work independently after the initial adult instruction.