Ensure the Top Tips for an inclusive learning environment are in place as part of Ordinarily Available Provision. 

Create a supportive learning environment. Carry out observations of the child to ‘notice, check and try’ and consider classroom strategies such as:

• Word mats.

• A ‘toolbox’ (for tables) with appropriate resources such as word mats; checklists; task lists; to do lists; pencil grips; word spacers; alphabet strips; drywipe boards (coloured if possible) with non-black drywipe pens; highlighters; overlays or reading strips for reading for scotopic sensitivity/Irlen Syndrome (see sensory/physical need section for further information on Irlen Syndrome); coloured pockets (for reading worksheets); bookmarks.

• Using off-white paper (buff or recycled paper), not using black text on white paper; using non white background on the interactive (Smart) boards.

• Colour coding for subjects (dyslexia aware environment).

• Drawers and resources labelled (by picture and word).

• Help/resource stations for maths, reading, spelling; working walls where concepts are broken down stage by stage, (e.g., colour may be used to distinguish separate parts of a problem).

• Purposeful displays (e.g., key vocabulary, visuals supporting class rules or expected noise meter.

• Visual cues (visual seating reminders) and timetables.

• Prompts/reminders/to do lists.

• Seating selection.

• Visual cues and timetables.

• Timed rewards and consequences.

• Changing visuals (e.g., Smart boards, changing images, clips, texts and colours).

• Brain breaks.

• Differentiation- e.g., task sheets, providing PowerPoint printouts; timers; breaking down skill, understanding small steps, revisiting past skills and building on, understanding of ‘small steps’ approaches, targeted questions at different levels.

• Use of objects of reference when presenting instructions.

• Multisensory approaches to learning.

• Use of peer talking groups of various sizes (Kagan groups) to share and discuss ideas.

• Scaffolding of work- e.g., task plans; word banks; sentence starters; writing frames.

Promoting independence- e.g. scaffolding, timers, visuals, sharing expectations, work pitched at child’s level, effective deployment of support staff, offering mediation at a lower level first before increasing, where necessary (See Getting Help column).

Staff approaches- e.g., peer observation, joint planning and support (e.g. triad delivery model), chunking verbal instructions.

Multi-sensory teaching methods and choice of methods of recording.

Repetition of concepts and skills- e.g., pre-teaching vocabulary, address misconceptions the same day, retrieval practice (last session/last week/last topic/last term), bridging new content and skills with prior learning (e.g. 'where have we seen this before?').

Provide staff and peer feedback that is specific, clear and accurate, which focuses on improvement from previous work, and which supports effort and perseverance.

Arrange relevant training for staff from external support services, where needed.

Staff awareness of the learning hierarchy to support their understanding of the stages involved in developing a skill and identifying which stage children have reached/where additional support to progress may be needed:

• Acquisition (being introduced to a task, such as recognising a phonic sound, and recognising initial components. Focus is on accuracy and getting it right, rather than speed or use of concepts to problem solve).

• Fluency (practice phase and becoming familiar with the task; starting to focus on speed as well as accuracy (e.g., identifying sounds more quickly and automatically). Individuals will make different rates of progress).

• Mastery (task is fully learnt and feels like ‘second nature’; child has developed a level of proficiency which is not affected by new learning or periods of time without practicing the skill, such as being able to recognise a phonic sound over time).

• Generalisation (mastered task is now used in other situations; with instruction, the child applies the skill with novel materials or under different conditions, such as applying phonics sounds to reading a book with some help. Learning is less prescribed, and reinforcement can take place through everyday experiences, enabling simple problem solving).

• Adaptation (the mastered skill is fully generalised, and the information can be used in novel ways and for more complex problem solving, such as applying phonic knowledge to new words. Specific instruction in complex or new situations is not needed and the child can ask themselves what skills or knowledge they might need to solve the problem).

Use effective assessment and monitoring tools to identify all children’s’ learning levels and track progress, e.g:

• Target tracker or similar;

• Pre key stage standards;

• PIVATs;

• Observations -to see where possible small adjustments can be made- notice, check and try.

Establish good links with home to support learning, e.g.:

• Ensure that the curriculum is accessible for parents so they can help their children.

• Online homework support systems so children do not have to write things down.

• Where possible, support parents to access similar resources to the ones accessed in school. For example, See-saw, dojo, google classrooms, and ‘Nessy’.