Inclusive pedagogy

As a teacher, your ability to adapt your teaching and embed inclusive pedagogy will make a difference to every student. If your reading this as an early career teacher, time will make this easier, don’t be hard on yourself but also take risks and try out new tools to see what works for you and your subject. 

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Adaptive teaching is about noticing how students learn differently and adjusting your approach in real time, without lowering expectations. It might mean changing the pace of a lesson, using different examples or resources, or offering extra scaffolding where it’s needed. It’s about drawing on your knowledge of the subject and of your students to use strategies like targeted questioning, flexible grouping, or differentiated tasks that help everyone access the learning.

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Inclusive pedagogy goes a step further, it means planning from the outset with all learners in mind, not just those who find things straightforward. This includes using visuals, hands-on resources, structured talk, and collaborative tasks to make learning engaging and accessible for everyone. For students with AEND (SEND), this approach helps remove barriers to learning within the classroom, rather than relying on separate support. For other students, it still offers challenge, variety, and chances to develop independence and confidence.

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When you teach adaptively and inclusively, students are more likely to feel motivated because they can see how to succeed. It creates a classroom culture where every learner feels seen, supported, and stretched.