Inclusive Teaching: Building Strong Classrooms for All Learners
Why this Matters?
The recent discussion paper Inclusive Teaching—Securing Strong Educational Experiences and Outcomes for All Students highlights the stark and well-documented issues within England’s SEND system, which is under significant pressure. Outcomes remain poor, access is uneven, teacher workload is rising, and costs are spiralling. Families often face exhausting battles for support, while teachers can feel unprepared and disempowered.
| National | Surrey | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 19.5% | 20.6% |
| EHCP | 5.3% | 5.9% |
| SEN Support | 14.2% | 14.2% |
SEND figures continue to rise above the national average (Jan 25 census):
A key cause? An over-reliance on diagnosis as the main gateway to support. Labels can help, but they sometimes overshadow real needs, lower expectations, or lead to inequitable provision. If we want sustainable improvement, the focus must shift from labels to strengthening everyday classroom teaching.
Five Leadership Takeaways for More Inclusive Classrooms
The paper proposes a shift in emphasis—from focusing primarily on labels to strengthening everyday teaching in ways that benefit all students. Parts 3 and 4 set out five guiding principles, illustrated with classroom case studies:
The Leadership Role
Key Message
Strong universal teaching is the foundation of inclusion. By making classrooms accessible and effective for all, we lift outcomes for SEND students and ease strain on the wider system.
For further reflection, leaders may want to connect these ideas to the Schools Alliance for Excellence Rethinking Inclusion agenda, which continues this conversation at both strategic and classroom levels. See more here:
SEND in Mainstream: DfE Research Review
The themes in this discussion paper echo wider work in the sector. A new DfE research review—Identifying and supporting the needs of children with SEND in mainstream settings—aligns closely with the principles discussed in the Inclusive Teaching paper. It provides evidence-based guidance and practical strategies for early identification, inclusive practice, and effective support in mainstream classrooms.
📌 Read the review on GOV.UK
SENCOs are encouraged to review this to strengthen support plans and whole-staff professional learning, linking national research to your local practice.
National Updates:
Accountability & RISE in Focus
3. What you can do right now
| Goal | Action for South East Schools |
|---|---|
| Align your plans with new accountability | Reframe your SEF / evaluation using the new report-card domains (inclusion, attendance, leadership, etc.) |
| Use the universal RISE offer | Tap into the published RISE guidance (attendance, inclusive practice, reception improvement) to enrich your SIP / CPD plans GOV.UK+1 |
| Engage with English Hub support | Resource funding, and specialist help GOV.UK |
| Prepare for benchmarking & transparency | Ensure your attendance, attainment, and behaviour data are solid. Draft a “report-card style” summary for governors / parents |
Effective Governance Resources
The DfE has published a new set of Effective Governance resources to support boards in strengthening oversight and strategic leadership. The materials include guidance on board functions, self-evaluation tools, and case studies of good practice.
📌 View the resources on GOV.UK
Governors are encouraged to review these ahead of our next meeting to inform discussion about how they can sharpen their impact.
Local Updates:
New Wellbeing Charter for School Leaders in Surrey
Leading a school is a privilege, but it’s no secret that the demands can sometimes feel relentless. From workload and accountability to relationships and inclusion, leaders are balancing multiple pressures — and their wellbeing matters.
From September 2025, Surrey launched a Wellbeing Charter for School Leaders, developed by the Primary Phase Council and endorsed by Surrey County Council and SAfE. The Charter is not a checklist, but a practical framework designed to:
Councillor Jonathan Hulley, Cabinet Member for Children, Families and Lifelong Learning, described school leaders as “at the very heart of Surrey’s thriving school community” — and emphasised that their wellbeing is “critical in enabling inclusive and effective learning environments.”
By working in partnership, the Charter aims to shift wellbeing from being an “add-on” to being central to leadership culture. Healthier leaders are better placed to model sustainable practice and foster healthier school communities.
Do We All Know Rethinking Classroom Questioning to Secure Learning
By Ciaran Beatty
Picture this: a beautiful summer afternoon in a Year 3 classroom. The children were focused, engaged in their history lesson on the Vikings. From a traditional observation perspective, it was exemplary: behaviour for learning was excellent, knowledge was being built sequentially, and the teacher was drawing confidently on prior learning.
As one of three visitors, I joined a table of eager learners and asked questions about what they were studying. The children explained what the Vikings ate, how they lived, and where they travelled—using maps and previous lessons to justify their answers. So far, so good. Then I asked a simple question: “So are the Vikings still alive and travelling the seas today?” I expected a swift “No!” Instead, one polite child, brimming with confidence, replied: “Yes!” and began showing me on the map where the Vikings had travelled “so far.” Before I could address the misconception, the class was brought back to the carpet and the moment passed.
That exchange has stayed with me. It highlights a subtle but critical distinction in our questioning: the difference between “Does anyone know…?” and “Do we all know…?”
As leaders and teachers, we know that misconceptions—especially when confidently held—can be the silent saboteurs of learning. Children remember them. They spread them. And they are tricky to correct once embedded. Progress is often defined as “knowing more and remembering more.” But what happens when what is remembered is, in fact, wrong?
Checking for common clarity—ensuring we all know—is essential. Otherwise, we risk building knowledge on uneven foundations. This challenge raises important questions for us as a profession:
These are not small questions. And while technology may one day help us track and tackle every misconception, today it falls to us to sharpen our practice. Small tweaks—such as shifting from “Does anyone know?” to “Do we all know?”—can transform the accuracy and depth of learning across a class.
That’s why professional development matters.
On 14th October 2025, internationally acclaimed educator Kate Jones will lead the Retrieval and Feedback Workshop 2025—a hands-on day designed to give primary teachers practical, research-informed strategies to boost pupil progress and tackle the very challenges raised here. From retrieval practice techniques to effective feedback methods, this workshop will equip schools with tools to ensure all children build secure, accurate knowledge.
👉 School leaders: this is an opportunity to strengthen your team’s practice and address the hidden challenge of misconceptions head-on.
📍 Event: Using Retrieval Practice and Feedback Effectively Workshop 2025
📅 Date: 14th October 2025, 9:30–15:30
📍 Venue: St John the Baptist School
🎤 Led by: Kate Jones
Find out more and secure your place here: Schools Alliance for Excellence
Case Study: Earlswood Infant and Nursery School- September 2025
Finding Their Voices- Inspiring Young Writers Through Drawing Club
‘When children draw their stories, they find their voices’
School Introduction
Earlswood Infant and Nursery School is a four-form entry setting with a nursery for 3–4-year-olds. In recent years, the school’s demographic has shifted, with an increasing number of children speaking English as an additional language (now one-third of the intake). The most prevalent area of need among identified SEND children is Speech, Language and Communication Needs (42%).
In a Nutshell
The introduction of Drawing Club ignited a newfound enthusiasm for writing across Reception. Its flexible structure, rooted in high-quality stories and play-based exploration, enabled full engagement from all learners.
Inspired by Greg Bottrill’s Drawing Club, the school introduced daily sessions where:
• Teachers shared a high-quality picture book for the week or a selected animation. (linked to the learning theme for the half term)
• Children drew characters, events, or new adventures each day in a small group.
• Pupils used the drawing to support them to write with teacher modelling
Expectations were responsive to the child’s readiness to write, a single word or short phrase encouraged.
The pride among children is palpable, they eagerly share their work on “proud patches” and discuss their drawings with confidence. Parents and carers have shared verbal evidence of the excitement of drawing club at home. This inclusive, child-centred approach fostered creativity, language development, and joy in writing. Reception staff demonstrated strong teamwork, sharing best practices to ensure consistency. Their success has inspired another local school to adopt Drawing Club, exemplifying innovation, and collaboration.
