At XP we are currently working on improving our SEND processes to support and empower our SENDCos and staff to implement appropriate and impactful SEND provision that begins with High Quality Teaching. As a result of this work, on Monday 19 January we invited Gary Aubin, Director of SEND Networks and Programmes at Whole Education to work with Headteachers and Executives to critique our Teaching and Learning model through the lens of SEND. The initial focus of discussions was based around our Trust approach to defining what our ‘ordinarily available SEND provision’ looks like within our planning, sequencing and delivery of lessons. We call this part of our model ‘AC/DC’ which provides our teachers with a clear structure for lesson planning in a deliberate order to meet the needs of learners and to engage them in the learning process. Therefore, we ‘activate’ the learning at the start of the session, ‘construct’ the learning through appropriate activities, allow students to ‘demonstrate’ their learning and, finally, we always debrief to ‘consolidate’ learning. 

The afternoon was spent looking at the different areas of the AC/DC core practice and identifying what specific interventions would support that area in the classroom for learners with SEND. Here is an example of what this might look like:

ACDC – Activate: 

The Activate phase is where learning begins – not necessarily with delivery, but with connection. It acts as the point in the XP model where teachers intentionally ignite interest, make learning relevant, and prepare students to engage with new knowledge. This phase is also designed to stimulate curiosity, surface prior knowledge, and anchor the session in purpose.

Learning is most effective when students can link new knowledge to existing schema, and the Activate phase is our response to this – a deliberate opportunity to prime learning by tapping into what students already know, think, or feel about the topic at hand. 

Specifically:

‘Do Now’ activities allow the learning to begin as soon as students enter the classroom:

• Focused pace leads to on-task behaviours in order to optimise time spent on learning. 
  • Sharp starts to activities with suitable challenge (for instance starting with lower challenge tasks leading to increasing difficulty) help to promote productivity and on task behaviours.
  • Effective transitions such as entries into lessons, movement from teacher talk to individual work, promote on-task engagement with activities. 

• Effective routines enable lessons to start quickly and promote immediate engagement.
  • Entry routines (eg: handing out equipment, accessible resources, Do now activities) are organised and promote on task engagement.
  • Check-ins with higher needs students quickly overcomes potential barriers and leads to immediate engagement.

• Early positive reinforcement allows the teacher to ‘catch students doing good’ – a key strategy for promoting good behaviour, and for reinforcing expectations and classroom norms.
  • Teachers look to actively promote and positively reinforce on-task behaviours by using phrases such as ‘Great to see Judy so focused today… I’m loving how John is already on to task 3… I want that to continue…’

I would like to appreciate Gary for sharing his time and expertise with us on Monday. Further work on this has already been scheduled and I’m excited to see the full potential of directly connecting our SEND support to our AC/DC framework.

Kate ap Harri