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What is adaptive

teaching?

Adaptive teaching is high quality teaching which meets the needs of children. Adaptive teachers first seek to identify the needs of the class and develop a deeper understanding of more complex learners and the unique barriers they face. Once teachers have a comprehensive understanding of the education capability of the class as a whole and a deeper understanding of the more vulnerable children, teachers are equipped to make evidence-based adaptations.  â€‹

Adaptations include adapting the sequence the curriculum is delivered, pedagogy, behaviour approaches and the environment. All adaptations are compatible with the needs of the children.

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ADAPTATIONS INCLUDE:

SEQUENCE OF CURRICULUM 
Adapted strategically to ensure each child encounters new knowledge in a meaningful and coherent way. Also minimises teacher workload by reducing the scale of adaptations. Teachers consider and plan for the knowledge strengths and weaknesses in a class. 
 

PEDAGOGY

Adapted to meet the learning needs within the class. More complex learners have unique barriers to learning removed through skilfully adapted teaching which is compatible with the needs of the children.  

 

BEHAVIOUR APPROACHES 

Adapted to meet the needs of the children, approaches may vary and more complex children may require the need to feel psychologically and emotionally safe as a pre-requisite to learning.


ENVIRONMENT
Adaptations include, but not limited to: seating arrangements, classroom displays,
removing distractions or enabling physical access.

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 The initial stages of adaptive teaching equips teachers to:

  • Identify the needs of the class as a whole

  • Understand the academic parameters within a class

  • Identify children with the greatest barriers to learning

  • Understand the complex and unique barriers of individual children 

  • Understand causal factors contributing to disruptive behaviour

  • Identify gaps in knowledge and skills

  • Identify interventions 

  • Provide an evidence-based rationale for adaptations
     

The entire process occurs in stages, more precisely, The Five Stages of Adaptive Teaching. Teachers  identify the needs of children during Stage 1 and Stage 2 to gather sufficient evidence to make whole class and individual adaptations during Stage 3 and Stage 4. Stage 5 is a process for recording and escalating concerns regarding children such as with the SEND team or parents.  

Adaptive Teaching requires Adaptive Leadership

Leadership teams implement adaptations at a strategic level to ensure greater efficacy at an operational level and to reduce teacher workload by reducing the scale of adaptations teachers make in the classroom. 

 

Whole school adaptations include, but not limited to:

  • Children are assessed on entry to identify key conceptual knowledge strengths and weaknesses. 

  • Children have key conceptual knowledge gaps closed

  • Children encounter curriculum knowledge in a meaningful and coherent manner through the sequencing of the curriculum

  • Swiftly identify the most vulnerable learners with the greatest barriers to learning

  • Reduce academic parameters within classes to reduce the scale of adaptations.

  • Provide valuable opportunities to dynamically assess children with the greatest barriers to learning

  • Allocate the most skilled adaptive teachers to the highest needs classes

  • Focus on the compatibility of teaching with the needs of children during quality assurance procedures

  • Ensure data is up to date and reliable. 

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