For years, schools have tried to close the disadvantage gap through interventions outside the classroom—revision sessions, mentoring programmes, and targeted catch‑up. While these can help, they often arrive too late. The real battleground for equity is not after school or after the assessment cycle. It is during the lesson itself, in the micro‑decisions teachers makeContinue reading “Adaptive Responsive Teaching: The Equity Strategy That Closes the Disadvantage Gap”
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The Adaptive Responsive Teaching Compass: A Blueprint for Equitable, High‑Impact Classrooms
Introduction In classrooms where learners bring diverse starting points, needs, and barriers, teaching cannot rely on a fixed script. Learning is rarely linear, and students don’t all follow the same route to understanding. Adaptive Responsive Teaching offers a way to navigate this complexity with precision and purpose. It functions much like a GPS for aContinue reading “The Adaptive Responsive Teaching Compass: A Blueprint for Equitable, High‑Impact Classrooms”
⚖️ The Ethical Maths Classroom: High Expectations, Oracy, and Equity
In too many classrooms, mathematics is viewed as a subject of fixed ability—a gatekeeper that sorts students into those who “get it” and those who don’t. This mindset is not only limiting, but it’s fundamentally untrue and unethical. Imagine a maths classroom where every student is treated not as a learner, but as a mathematician.Continue reading “⚖️ The Ethical Maths Classroom: High Expectations, Oracy, and Equity”
Unlocking Potential: Why Retrieval Practice is a Game-Changer for SEND Students in Maths
In our ongoing mission to make maths accessible and achievable for every student, the formula for progress remains clear: Consistency + Quality First Teaching + Culture = Progress. While these elements benefit all learners, for students with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), finding the right strategies is even more critical. One of the mostContinue reading “Unlocking Potential: Why Retrieval Practice is a Game-Changer for SEND Students in Maths”
Unlocking Deep Mathematical Understanding
The Power of Structured Discussion in Education In a landscape where student engagement and comprehension remain at the forefront of educational challenges, how can we transition our students from rote memorisation to a profound understanding of mathematical concepts? The answer lies in creating an environment ripe for structured discussion and comparison—an approach that not onlyContinue reading “Unlocking Deep Mathematical Understanding”
Mixed Attainment Classes
The argument I used to change our classes to mixed attainment focused on our department values, “High Expectations for Everyone”. For many years, this has been a value, yet students have been streamed into sets based upon their Key Stage 2 results or new to the country. “We have high expectations, but we are puttingContinue reading “Mixed Attainment Classes”
Depth and Not Speed
With all the talk about the “catch up” curriculum, why is it essential to put the brakes on and consider the depth of learning, not speed? The pandemic has brought numerous difficulties to the education of our young people, with gaps between the advantaged and disadvantaged widening due to home learning environments and resources ofContinue reading “Depth and Not Speed”
Are you using your interactive whiteboard too much?
Consider these two scenarios: Scenario one A disadvantaged student walks into a lesson late and misses the explanations of the work as these were on some PowerPoint slides. Scenario two A disadvantaged student finds writing difficult and struggles to copy work quickly down from a PowerPoint slide, and the notes in the book are patchyContinue reading “Are you using your interactive whiteboard too much?”
Shiftingthecurve 