Lesson 2 of 7 · 7 min · 8-card deck

SEND in the mainstream classroom

The SEND Code of Practice in plain English — what 'quality first teaching' really requires.

Around 18% of pupils in England have identified Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), and many more have unidentified needs. The SEND Code of Practice (2015) makes clear that the first response to SEND is high-quality classroom teaching from the subject teacher — not always external intervention.

The four areas of SEND are: communication and interaction (e.g. autism, speech and language disorders); cognition and learning (e.g. dyslexia, dyscalculia, moderate learning difficulties); social, emotional and mental health (e.g. anxiety, attachment, ADHD); and sensory and/or physical needs.

Active recall flashcards

Work through every card. Try to answer in your head before flipping — the act of retrieving is what builds durable memory.

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Practice scenario

A Year 9 history teacher prepares for a lesson on the slave trade. She pre-teaches three key terms ('abolition', 'plantation', 'middle passage') the day before to two pupils with EAL and one with dyslexia. The lesson then runs as a single ambitious lesson for the whole class — but those pupils enter with the vocabulary they need.

Try this in your classroom

Read every pupil's SEND profile and act on the recommendations.
Use clear, chunked instructions and pre-teach key vocabulary.
Brief TAs in advance — they amplify your teaching, not replace it.
Treat 'quality first teaching' as the foundation, not a tick-box.