Inclusion begins with great teaching

Myth 1: Inclusive teaching is all about what schools do differently for pupils with additional needs.

The Guide states:

“Inclusive teaching is about helping every child to participate and succeed in school. As captured in the SEND Code of Practice (2014), some pupils with additional needs will require support that is additional to or different from what is generally available to other pupils. However, inclusive teaching is also about considering aspects of universal provision that benefit all pupils but are especially important for pupils with additional needs. Effective inclusion strategies consider both elements.”

Good inclusive teaching does not mean a termly wipe around the classroom. The key aspects of inclusive teaching need to be daily routine. These are clearly outlined in the EEF guide: explicit instruction, use of feedback, scaffolding, relationships, positive relationships and calm classroom environments. 

It’s easy to get some of these wrong for dyslexics. We are not to dilute the task or assume lower ability. Nor are we to make assumptions about learning styles based on labels. If a dyslexic learner struggles with verbal cognitive load, for example, visual strategies are likely to be useful, but they should be specific to the task, based on removing a non-essential barrier rather than an assumption of a particular learning style. 

Choose adaptations wisely

Myth 2: “The more adaptations teachers make, the more pupils will learn.”

The Guide states:

“Evidence does not strongly support the idea that the more adaptations teachers make, the more pupils will learn. Any adaptation can be effective or ineffective, and ineffective adaptations can hinder learning. For this reason, it is important to support teachers to understand what makes adaptations effective and to monitor their impact with care.”

As a dyslexia assessor who prides myself in writing detailed reports, for me it’s a fine line between giving as much as I’ve got and providing what is useful, timely and appropriate. In the same way, teachers should feel confident to choose the correct adaptations that they know enable the child to access the learning effectively. A cupboard full of cleaning products doesn’t make the house cleaner. Using the right one well and at the right time, usually does.

Teach first, intervene second

Myth 3: “Interventions are the most important way to support pupils with additional needs.”

The Guide states:

“While targeted interventions can help, they are most effective when they supplement – rather than replace – effective everyday teaching. Strong universal provision reduces the number of pupils who require additional support and creates the conditions in which targeted interventions are more likely to succeed.”

Getting the teaching right first is paramount; the intervention comes after this. Parents should be reassured that support for a child with dyslexia can look like decent, carefully crafted whole class teaching. Of course, intervention may then be necessary, but it should be planned and overseen (if not delivered) by the teacher and monitored carefully for impact. Interventions should help with the deep clean, not compensate for everyday cleaning that never happened.

Know what you know: look beyond the label

Myth 4: “If a pupil has a diagnosis, we automatically know the best way to support them.”

The Guide states:

“A diagnosis can provide useful information but may not determine what support will be most effective in supporting learning. Pupils with the same diagnosis can have very different strengths, needs and experiences and these can change over time. Effective support is informed by ongoing assessment, evidence-informed decision making and ongoing monitoring of impact.”

I sometimes think that teachers can ironically feel disempowered by lengthy professional reports with diagnostic labels. Sometimes SENCOs are even told that they must “seek professional advice”, as if they themselves are not professionals! Of course, specialists have their vital role, but this role is not (just) to give a label. It’s to support the school, child and parents in finding what works best for the child. 

The term “evidence-based” can also be problematic. The Guide states clearly that we are to regularly monitor our own practice and our pupils’ learning. This is an ongoing process and far more valuable than doing something because it claims to be evidence based. Not everything marketed as ‘evidence-based’ comes up sparkling under closer inspection. 

Implement with confidence

Myth 5: “Teachers need specialist expertise before they can effectively support pupils with additional needs.”

The Guide states:

“All teachers should continue to deepen their understanding of effective inclusive practice throughout their careers, and in many cases this will include the development of specialist expertise. However, inclusive teaching does not begin with specialist knowledge. It begins by attending to elements of universal provision that benefit all pupils, but that are especially important for pupils with additional needs. Doing so is an invaluable contribution that every classroom teacher can make.”

Inclusive teaching is something every teacher in every class can offer, but it’s neither easy nor to be taken for granted. If we continue to tell schools that our pupils need specialist teachers to effectively support pupils, we risk schools avoiding ownership and leaving it to the specialists. Ongoing CPD, regular engagement with specialists, appropriate resourcing and regular monitoring are essential for inclusive teaching to become part of whole school practice. 

It’s easy to give inclusion a quick polish: book a speaker for example (I’m taking bookings for next year!) What’s hard is keeping the place clean day after day, when there are so many demands for teachers’ time and leaders’ priorities. This is where the lick and promise risks not being fulfilled, and this is where it all matters the most.

Never mind the dusting, let’s get on with the regular deep clean. 

The EEF guidance can be found here

If you are looking for further training on looking beyond labels to meet the needs of dyslexics in schools, my course is available OnDemand for £49 here

If you’d like a copy of an article I wrote for the British Psychological Society on this subject please get in touch