SEND in the Mainstream

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21 November, 2024 —

SEND in the Mainstream

Inclusivity by design

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by Pinnacle Learning Research School
on the 21st November 2024

Jonathan Bell

Werneth Primary School

Jonathan Bell is Principal of Werneth Primary School, a two-form entry school in Oldham. He is also Director of Primary School Development at Pinnacle Learning Trust.

In this blog, Jonathan Bell reflects on addressing the challenges of supporting SEND learners in mainstream settings.

Over four years since the Special Educational Needs in Mainstream Schools guidance report was published — and amidst a shifting post-pandemic SEND landscape — it is encouraging to revisit the foreword by Professor Becky Francis. She notes:

It is tempting to talk about the challenge of SEND as a specific and distinct issue. Yet, far from creating new programmes, the evidence tells us that teachers should instead prioritise familiar but powerful strategies, like scaffolding and explicit instruction, to support their pupils with SEND. This means understanding the needs of individual pupils and weaving specific approaches into everyday, high-quality classroom teaching—being inclusive by design not as an afterthought.

This principle resonates deeply. The many outstanding SENCOs and teachers I have known often summarise their success with, “It’s just about knowing the kids.” While true, their achievements stem from deliberate efforts: identifying SEND needs, adapting practices accordingly, and maintaining a rigorous plan-do-review cycle. Their effectiveness is intentional, not incidental.

When school leaders aim to create inclusivity by design, they must invest in understanding individual needs and integrating inclusive approaches into daily teaching, as suggested by Professor Francis. Achieving this often requires re-evaluating long-standing practices, particularly since pupils with SEND are disproportionately eligible for Free School Meals. This intersection underscores parallels between the SEND guidance and the EEF Guide to the Pupil Premium.

At Werneth Primary, our SEND learner profile revealed key challenges: a high proportion of pupils with English as an Additional Language (EAL), eligibility for the Pupil Premium Grant (PPG), and poor attendance patterns. Communication and interaction were the most common areas of need, compounded by the lingering effects of the pandemic.

To address this, we focused on two key recommendations from the guidance:
Recommendation 1: Create a positive and supportive environment for all pupils without exception.
Recommendation 3: Ensure all pupils have access to high-quality teaching.

Recommendation 1

We implemented Communication in Print visuals to support visual timetables, early reading, behaviour expectations, and differentiated tasks. These visuals were used from our Nurture Provision up to Year 6 and enabled access to the curriculum for all children. This approach benefited not only SEND learners but also non-SEND EAL and PPG pupils, helping staff distinguish between SEND needs and issues like attendance-related cognitive disfluency.

Staff training on Maximising the Practice of Teaching Assistants (MPTA) empowered teachers to better utilize teaching assistants in scaffolding learning. Leaders continuously evaluated whether SEND learners were accessing the best possible teaching, considering if provision matched needs and identifying areas for professional development.

We also introduced systems and created space for staff and children to have positive interactions with children in order to proactively nurture positive relationships. We followed the example of Sonia Thompson (Headteacher of St Matthew’s CE Primary School in Nechells, Birmingham) and worked on ways to nurture a positive and proactive approach to learners’ conduct in each ‘microsystem’ within the school. This has included taking proactive steps to engage vulnerable children in non-structured times (involving SEND learners in sports clubs/teams and in lunchtime activities and games with other children), creating scripts and approaches to ensure that language choices show positive regard for all children and through systems and activities that are designed to develop communication and interaction skills.

As emphasized in our Curriculum Policy:

We are clear that the impact of these barriers to learning can be reduced through inclusive practice that provides access to a broad and balanced curriculum, delivered by well-trained and knowledgeable staff, using evidence informed teaching strategies.

Recommendation 3

The evidence review for this guidance report found strong evidence that high quality teaching for pupils with SEND is firmly based on strategies that will either already be in the repertoire of every mainstream teacher or can be relatively easily added to it. Teachers should develop a repertoire of these strategies that can be used flexibly in response to individual needs and use them as the starting point for classroom teaching for all pupils

The guidance emphasises that effective teaching for SEND pupils relies on strategies already within most teachers’ repertoires or those easily adoptable. Leaders at Werneth identified key pedagogical approaches tailored to our context:

Adaptive practices: Short-term planning, Rosenshine’s Principles of Instruction, and cooperative learning.

Cognitive science strategies: Retrieval practice, spaced learning, and interleaving.

Purposeful talk and scaffolding: Using speaking frames, talk partners, and visual aids.

Experiential learning: Activities like drama, outdoor learning, and practical investigations to deepen conceptual understanding.

Explicit guidance ensured consistent implementation of these strategies. Adaptive approaches included Word Aware vocabulary activities, scaffolding tools like writing frames, and dual-coded materials to support learning. Drama, science investigations, and creative links across subjects further enhanced accessibility.

Over three years, we implemented extensive professional development to ensure consistency in strategy application. Staff revisited themes periodically to strengthen their repertoire, enabling them to enact inclusive practices across the curriculum effectively.

We are proud of the progress achieved by our SEND learners year-on-year. However, sustaining success requires continual analysis of learners’ needs and adapting teaching practices accordingly. The success of our most effective teachers is not accidental but the result of deliberate and informed practices.

As leaders and teachers, our responsibility is clear: to use our knowledge of pupils to design environments and select strategies that support their success. Inclusive practice must be by design — never an afterthought.

By prioritising this understanding and embedding tailored strategies into daily teaching, we ensure that SEND learners not only access but thrive within high-quality education.