Adaptive Teaching

We are an inclusive school, and our teaching reflects the needs of a diverse community.

Flexible Grouping

Children work in different groupings depending on the task:

• Mixed‑attainment pairs
• Guided groups
• Same‑day intervention groups
• One‑to‑one scaffolding

Scaffolding

This may include:

• Manipulatives
• Partially completed examples
• Worked examples
• Visual prompts
• Vocabulary and sentence stems
• Step‑by‑step modelling

In‑the‑Moment Adaptations

Teachers regularly respond in real time by:

• Adjusting the pace
• Re‑explaining steps
• Providing additional examples
• Pairing pupils strategically
• Re‑grouping learners temporarily

These approaches are supported by principles in your Inset Day presentation on adaptive teaching, which emphasises responsive support and flexible adjustments.

Manipulatives & Representations

Manipulatives are used across all year groups, not just for ‘support’. They are crucial tools that enable children to see mathematical structures.

Manipulatives we use regularly

• Base 10
• Place Value Counters
• Numicon
• Rekenreks
• Bead strings
• Tens frames
• Multilink cubes
• Fraction walls
• Cuisenaire rods
• Number lines
• Place value charts
• Dienes blocks
• Clocks and time manipulatives

Why manipulatives matter

• They expose the structure of the mathematics
• They support conceptual understanding before abstract recording
• They help children generalise and reason
• They are vital for pupils with SEND, EAL, or gaps in prior understanding
• They reduce cognitive load while increasing independence

We gradually move children along the CPA (Concrete–Pictorial–Abstract) journey at a pace appropriate for them.