Questioning inclusion
9 questions about targeted groups
Inclusion has never been higher on the agenda.
Not only has it been woven into the Curriculum and Teaching section of the new framework, it’s also been given its own evaluation area altogether.
“SEND” is mentioned 12 times in the gathering evidence sections across these two evaluation areas.
Your questions about how to get the best outcomes for targeted groups reflect this renewed spotlight on inclusion.
So this week, we’ve rounded up all the questions you’ve been asking about supporting groups, who face barriers to learning.
If you teach students with additional needs…
…take what you need, give what you can. Post a request if you’re looking for something specific.
Next week: teaching and learning.
📌 🤔 9 inclusive curriculum questions you’re asking.
1.🗣️EAL
“Hi, We have an increasing demographic of EAL pupils, for which we have little experience supporting at present. Are there any resources, support strategies, school programs that schools currently use that help teachers adapt for multi-language needs?”
Read replies (with tech recommendation)
2.🗺️ SEMH curriculum pathways
“Asking SEMH special schools Sharing good practice - ideas for Alternative curriculum and or pathways? Non engagement/refusal, corridor hanging/potential confrontation - Pupils at very low level, yet present as “street” tough pupils What good practice is out there? Forrest like school? Non academic/social development curriculum? Not classroom based curriculum? All ideas welcome Any good practice please share grateful Matthew”
Read replies (with suggested school list + shared drive of resources)
3.😟 Low confidence
“Hi everyone what strategies have you found most effective in improving student engagement across the curriculum, particularly for learners who may struggle with motivation or confidence in many subjects? Marcello Lo Celso, Deputy Headteacher, Willows High School”
Read replies (6 ideas across multiple subjects)
4.👀 Low literacy - exam readers
“Looking for ideas / examples — supporting students who need readers in exams
“Hi everyone, we’re exploring how best to support 84 students who require a reader for their final exams this year. The scale of this makes using human readers for every exam logistically very difficult, so we’re looking into technology-based solutions. Has anyone successfully used a computer programme (with headphones) to provide the reader function — either through text-to-speech software or another platform — that meets JCQ regulations? We’d love to know:
Which software you’ve used (and how well it worked in exam conditions)
Any practical or compliance issues you encountered
How you managed training and setup for students
Whether the solution was approved by JCQ or your exam board Any insights, tips, or case studies would be hugely appreciated!”
5.☑️ Screening for SLC intervention
“I am Jo AHT SENCO in Derby, I want to introduce a SLC intervention, can anybody recommend one that screens a number of pupils at a time and provides the interventions required?”
Read replies (including 3 support recommendations)
Would someone you know find this round up useful?
6.🎓 Curriculum qualifications for pupils with SEND
“Hi, I’m Anthony, I teach in a school in Tameside. I would love to know what bespoke curriculum qualifications are put in place for pupils with SEND that can’t access the full curriculum. We offer ELC and Open Awards - would like to know what other options there are?”
Read replies (including 3 recommendations)
7.🤖 AI for SEND
“Hi - I’m Christian, EdTech lead at Chiltern Learning Trust - I’m really interested to know what schools and trusts are doing in AI around SEND”
Read replies (new post, input needed if you can help?)
8.📚EAL interventions
“Afternoon! Does anyone know of any reading interventions that are specifically aimed at EAL learners please?”
Read replies (input needed on this one if you can help?)
9. 📋 Knowledge organisers for their SEN pupils
“Anyone able to share examples of knowledge organisers for their SEN pupils with moderate learning needs? We are trying to produce these for our respective KS3 and KS4 classes.”
Got a question? Ask the community.
The We Are In Beta team invest 40+ hours a week helping you to get answers: keeping an eye on what’s happening, researching, replying, making introductions, signposting resources, updating our databases, following up with original posters to see how it’s helped.
NB: due to the volume of questions asked, we now prioritise paying members of the
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📅 Academic support session titles at the National Pupil Premium Conference 2026
By now, you know that the National Pupil Premium Conference is happening on 23rd Feb 2026.
The question you’ve probably been asking is: what will the conference sessions be about?
Wonder no more. Here’s a selection of the workshops that will be exploring targeted academic support:
“Early identification and support - the ‘Reconnect Hub’ and how we collaboratively work across the school to identify patterns, spikes and triggers to remove barriers”. Harris Academy Chafford Hundred (Rory Johnson - Vice Principal)
“Culture is everything and context matters”. Burnage Academy for Boys (Karl Harrison - Headteacher)
“Maths/English 1:1 tutoring programme KS4 and KS3, for those not reaching their potential based on KS2 data”. Glenmoor & Winton Academies (Deborah Hawkins - Vice Principal)
“Accelerated Learning Programme: using teaching staff to deliver targeted intervention to Y7-9 pupils most in need of support through self-study and mastery sessions”. Mercia School (Dean Webster - Executive Headteacher)
Tickets are not on sale yet, but if you want to come you need to…
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