Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) Adaptive Teaching, SEND and Inclusion Syllabus

Adaptive Teaching, SEND and Inclusion syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for Adaptive Teaching, SEND and Inclusion in Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Adaptive Teaching for All Learners

   4 topics

   • Adaptive teaching versus traditional differentiation
   • Setting high expectations for every pupil
   • Flexible grouping and avoiding fixed ability labelling
   • Scaffolding to provide access without lowering challenge
2. 2

   Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)

   4 topics

   • The SEND Code of Practice and the four broad areas of need
     • Communication and interaction
     • Cognition and learning
     • Social, emotional and mental health
     • Sensory and/or physical needs
   • The graduated approach: assess, plan, do, review
   • Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) and the SENCO role
   • The teacher's legal duties under the Equality Act 2010
     • Reasonable adjustments
     • Anticipatory duty
3. 3

   Supporting Diverse and Vulnerable Pupils

   4 topics

   • Supporting pupils with English as an Additional Language (EAL)
   • The most able and high-attaining pupils
   • Disadvantaged pupils and the Pupil Premium
     • Closing the attainment gap
     • Free school meals and looked-after children
   • Pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs
4. 4

   Equality, Diversity and an Inclusive Classroom

   4 topics

   • Protected characteristics and the public sector equality duty
   • Promoting an inclusive and representative curriculum
   • Challenging stereotyping, prejudice and discrimination
   • Tackling bullying including online and identity-based bullying

Adaptive Teaching, SEND and Inclusion flashcards for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS)

19 of 50 cards from the Adaptive Teaching, SEND and Inclusion deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. How does adaptive teaching differ from traditional differentiation?

   Adaptive teaching adjusts teaching in response to ongoing assessment so all pupils access the same ambitious curriculum and learning objective. Traditional differentiation often created separate, easier tasks or worksheets for different groups, which could cap expectations. Adaptive teaching keeps the goal common and varies support, scaffolds and pace rather than the content or outcome aimed for.

2. Why is creating multiple different tasks for different 'ability' groups now discouraged?

   It tends to lower expectations for some pupils, widen attainment gaps, embed fixed mindsets, and increase teacher workload. Pupils given easier tasks rarely catch up. Adaptive teaching instead gives all pupils access to the same challenging material with varied support.

3. What does 'setting high expectations for every pupil' require of a teacher?

   Communicating belief that every pupil can achieve the ambitious learning goal, avoiding limiting assumptions based on background or prior attainment, holding all pupils to high standards of work and behaviour, and providing the scaffolding needed to meet challenge rather than reducing the challenge.

4. What is flexible grouping and why is it preferred over fixed ability sets?

   Flexible grouping arranges pupils in temporary groupings based on the specific task, current need or learning goal, regularly changing membership. It is preferred because fixed ability grouping can become self-fulfilling, depress expectations and attainment for lower groups, and limit pupil mobility between groups.

5. Why is fixed 'ability' labelling considered problematic?

   It treats attainment as fixed rather than developable, can lower teacher expectations and pupil self-belief, disproportionately places disadvantaged pupils in lower groups, and reduces challenge. Current evidence favours referring to current attainment, which can change, rather than innate ability.

6. Define scaffolding in the context of adaptive teaching.

   Scaffolding is temporary, targeted support (e.g. worked examples, writing frames, sentence stems, models, prompts) that helps a pupil access challenging material, and which is gradually removed as the pupil gains independence, so that challenge is maintained rather than lowered.

7. What is the key principle when scaffolding: how should support change over time?

   Support should be gradually withdrawn (faded) as the pupil becomes more competent, so they move toward independent performance. Scaffolds are temporary by design; leaving them in place permanently can foster dependence and cap progress.

8. What statutory document governs SEND provision in England, and who must have regard to it?

   The SEND Code of Practice: 0 to 25 years (2015). All schools, early years settings, post-16 providers, local authorities and health bodies must have regard to it when carrying out duties toward children and young people with special educational needs or disabilities.

9. What are the four broad areas of need set out in the SEND Code of Practice?

   1. Communication and interaction; 2. Cognition and learning; 3. Social, emotional and mental health (SEMH); 4. Sensory and/or physical needs.

10. Which area of need would a pupil with autism or speech, language and communication needs typically fall under?

    Communication and interaction.

11. Which SEND area of need covers specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, dyscalculia and moderate or severe learning difficulties?

    Cognition and learning.

12. Which SEND area of need covers conditions such as anxiety, depression, ADHD and attachment difficulties?

    Social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs.

13. Which SEND area of need covers visual impairment, hearing impairment, multi-sensory impairment and physical disability?

    Sensory and/or physical needs.

14. What is the legal definition of special educational needs (SEN)?

    A child or young person has SEN if they have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made for them, i.e. provision different from or additional to that normally available to pupils of the same age.

15. Name the four stages of the graduated approach in the SEND Code of Practice, in order.

    Assess, Plan, Do, Review. It is a cycle that is repeated and refined to secure good outcomes for pupils with SEN.

16. In the graduated approach, what happens at the 'Assess' stage?

    The teacher and SENCO analyse the pupil's needs using assessment data, observations, the pupil's and parents' views, and any specialist advice, to gain a clear understanding of the barriers to learning.

17. In the graduated approach, what is decided at the 'Plan' stage?

    The teacher, SENCO and parents agree the interventions and support to be put in place, the expected outcomes, a review date, and the adjustments and resources needed, recording these clearly.

18. In the graduated approach, who is chiefly responsible at the 'Do' stage?

    The class or subject teacher remains responsible for working with the pupil daily and for the implementation and quality of the agreed support, with the SENCO supporting and advising.

19. In the graduated approach, what occurs at the 'Review' stage?

    The effectiveness and impact of the support is evaluated against the agreed outcomes, in light of pupil progress and parental/pupil views, and the plan is revised before the cycle begins again.

See more Adaptive Teaching, SEND and Inclusion flashcards →

Planning Adaptive Teaching, SEND and Inclusion for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS)

Adaptive Teaching, SEND and Inclusion (Qualified Teacher Status (QTS)) FAQ