Research School Network: Why We Need to Learn to Surf in Secondary Education by Ali Banks

Teaching is not easy. It never has been. Contrary to popular belief, it has never been a 9‑to‑3 job accompanied by three months of paid holiday. Everyone has experienced teachers because everyone has attended school, and this often leads to well-intentioned but unhelpful comments about the profession.

One phrase many teachers will recognise is, ​“When I was teaching…”. Whether it comes from former teachers or those working higher up in organisations, it can be difficult to hear. I would not blame many colleagues for switching off at that point. Schools today operate in a very different climate from even a few years ago. The changes that occurred before and after Covid have reshaped education, and those changes are here to stay.

The Department for Education’s White Paper (February 2026) highlights the expectation that mainstream schools will become increasingly inclusive, supporting a greater number of disadvantaged pupils and children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). This is exactly what schools are experiencing now. Earlier identification of needs in primary schools, alongside growing expectations for inclusive practice, means secondary schools are teaching pupils with a wider range of needs than ever before.

The rise of adaptive teaching is not a passing trend or the latest educational buzzword. It is a response to significant changes that are largely beyond teachers’ control. We cannot simply pay lip service to it or treat lessons like a paint-by-numbers exercise. We need to embrace this shift, reflect on our practice and adapt our teaching if we are to meet the needs of the pupils in front of us.

The Reality of Change

Larger Class Sizes

Primary schools have often managed larger classes, particularly in oversubscribed schools. Secondary schools, however, are increasingly seeing class sizes rise as staffing budgets come under pressure. GCSE groups that once ran as ten classes may now run as eight. Optional subjects are combining groups to remain financially viable amid rising costs for resources, utilities and salaries.

For many pupils, larger classes may not significantly affect outcomes. However, for those who require additional support, personalised approaches or alternative ways of accessing learning, the impact can be substantial. The model of teaching that may once have worked is becoming increasingly difficult to sustain.

Earlier Identification of Need

Primary schools have done an exceptional job in identifying needs earlier than ever before, often from Reception or Year 1. Yet obtaining diagnoses and securing Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) remains a lengthy and challenging process. SENCOs work tirelessly to ensure children receive the support they need.

By the time pupils arrive in secondary school, many come with detailed support plans, identified needs and a history of interventions. Others are still waiting for formal diagnoses. Some have needs that are becoming increasingly apparent but have not yet been formally recognised.

Alongside this, many parents and carers are reflecting on their own educational experiences. Adults who may once have been labelled ​“Gifted and Talented” are now recognising that undiagnosed ADHD or other needs may have shaped their time at school. As a result, schools are supporting not only pupils but often families carrying understandable anxieties about education. Their concerns come from a place of care and a desire for the best outcomes for their children, but responding to these increasing levels of communication places further demands on teachers’ time.

Why We Must Adapt

Imagine a class that was once a nurture group of ten. Small numbers allowed for informal discussions, regular check-ins and individualised support. Questions could be addressed quickly, misconceptions tackled immediately and relationships developed naturally.

Now imagine that same class with significantly larger numbers and a greater concentration of identified needs.

There are pupils with SEND, pupils awaiting assessment, pupils who excel verbally but struggle to demonstrate their understanding on paper, and pupils who arrive in Period 5 exhausted, disengaged or overwhelmed. The teacher is expected to manage behaviour, deliver high-quality instruction, provide scaffolds, adapt tasks and ensure progress for everyone.

Teaching these classes in the same way we always have will not produce different results. We need to change what we do.

If we continue with approaches designed for a different educational landscape, those pupils who need us most are likely to achieve disproportionately worse outcomes than their peers. As teachers, this can leave us feeling that we are letting them down. We are part of the system which is failing them. Students have only one chance at an education, and the consequences of that experience can influence their opportunities, aspirations, and life outcomes for years to come.

Yet we do not have additional planning time. We cannot endlessly create bespoke resources for every lesson and every individual. The choices become stark: either we follow a generic approach that meets few needs effectively, or we work unsustainably hard and risk burnout.

Neither option is acceptable.

Becoming the Chameleon on a Surfboard

We must remember that we are teachers. Not script-readers. Not deliverers of PowerPoint presentations. Not simply custodians of a textbook or a centrally produced scheme of work.

We are professionals who adapt.

The waves are coming. Educational change is happening whether we like it or not. We need to learn to surf.

Swimming is no longer enough. Many teachers already feel as though they are fighting to keep their heads above water. What we need is the ability to ride the waves of change, adjusting our balance as conditions shift.

Adaptive teaching is not about producing twenty versions of a lesson. It is about continually asking:

· What do my pupils know?

· Who is ready to move on?

· Who needs support?

· Who needs a different explanation?

· What barriers are preventing success?

The cycle is simple but powerful: check, adapt, re-check.

Some pupils may need greater independence and challenge. Others may need scaffolds to support emerging understanding. Some may require an alternative example or a concept broken down into smaller steps. The skill of teaching lies in recognising these differences and responding appropriately.

As the year progresses, we build an extraordinary knowledge of the young people we teach. We learn their strengths, their barriers, their motivations and their fears. They become more than data points, grades or paperwork.

The information contained within support plans should inform our teaching, but it should not define our pupils. Use strategies when they are needed. Remove supports when they are no longer necessary. Stretch pupils when they are ready. Adapt to the individuals in front of you.

The education system is evolving. We need to evolve with it.

We are teachers.

We are chameleons on surfboards. And if we are to ensure every pupil has the opportunity to thrive, we must learn not only to weather the waves but to ride them.

Ali Banks has been a teacher of science for 19 years and is lucky enough to work with trainee teachers and ECTs at Notre Dame High School. Loves cats and roller skating. Should not be on roller skates!