Research School Network: Unlocking Inclusion Why High-Quality Universal Teaching is Our Best Bet

The challenge of creating truly inclusive classrooms is one facing many school leaders today. With a growing number of pupils presenting with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), socio-economic disadvantage, and diverse barriers to learning, ensuring every child can succeed is paramount.

This priority is further amplified by a rapidly evolving national policy landscape. Following the DfE White Paper and updated Ofsted inspection frameworks that position inclusion as a core judgment area, school leaders are navigating major national developments.

However, rapid policy changes carry system risks and potential confusion. To ensure our inclusion strategies are grounded in reliable evidence leaders need a clear anchor. The Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) Guide to Inclusive Teaching provides an essential, evidence-informed model to navigate these complexities.

Whole-school inclusion is a broad concept encompassing school culture, leadership, attendance, sense of belonging, and the physical environment. While classroom teaching alone cannot solve every inclusive challenge, teaching and learning is the space where evidence offers the most direct guidance for classroom practice.

The EEF Guide focuses specifically on inclusive teaching: the instructional contribution to whole-school inclusion. It establishes that strong, high-quality universal practice in the mainstream classroom is the bedrock of inclusive education.

The EEF model highlights five core evidence-informed strategies:

Explicit Instruction: Breaking down new learning into small, manageable steps, modelling clearly, demonstrating processes, and using precise language to reduce cognitive load for all pupils.

Feedback: Continually assessing learning in real time using targeted questioning, checking for understanding, and providing actionable feedback that helps pupils close gaps immediately.

Scaffolding: Providing temporary supports that are systematically faded as pupils build mastery and independence.

Positive Relationships and Calm Classroom Environments: Establishing structured, predictable expectations, positive teacher-pupil interactions, and consistent behavioural routines that foster a sense of safety and reduce cognitive load.

While strong universal teaching is essential, some pupils require additional, intentional adjustments to thrive. Part 2 focuses on providing targeted support that enables participation without lowering expectations or creating unnecessary dependencies:

Classroom Adaptations: Responsive adjustments made based on ongoing formative assessment and observed barriers, rather than static diagnostic labels.

Support from Teaching Assistants: Deploying Teaching Assistants effectively so they scaffold learning and foster pupil independence. The EEF’s Guidance Report on the Deployment of Teaching Assistants has further direction on this.

Selecting Targeted Interventions: Choosing structured 1‑to‑1 or small-group evidence-based interventions that directly align with, build upon, and reinforce mainstream classroom teaching.

Using Technology: Harnessing educational and assistive technologies purposefully to remove specific learning barriers and enhance pupil access.

Ultimately, inclusive teaching is not about creating multiple lesson plans or accumulating endless lists of strategies. It is about getting the fundamentals right for every child, every day. By anchoring our practice in universal high-quality teaching and making precise, evidence-informed adaptations, we ensure that every pupil receives the ambitious, inclusive education they deserve.

To help school leaders explore this evidence in depth and translate it into actionable school strategy, the three North East Research Schools (Newcastle, Town End, and Shotton Hall) are hosting a dedicated webinar series across the year.

Sign up for the upcoming regional webinar: https://forms.gle/BM9mqtqD5NPzJEEUA

Education Endowment Foundation (2024) The EEF Guide to Inclusive Teaching. London: Education Endowment Foundation. Available at: https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/education-evidence/inclusive-teaching

Education Endowment Foundation (2020) Special Educational Needs in Mainstream Schools: Guidance Report. London: Education Endowment Foundation. Available at: https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/education-evidence/guidance-reports/send

Education Endowment Foundation (2025) Deployment of Teaching Assistants: Guidance Report. London: Education Endowment Foundation. Available at: https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/education-evidence/guidance-reports/teaching-assistants