Principles

Differentiation can be defined as an attempt to recognise individual differences among pupils and to find ways of taking these into account in the process of teaching and learning. Differentiation is meeting the needs of every individual. It is a fundamental principle of our mission statement where we celebrate the uniqueness of every person. If we are not differentiating, meeting the needs of our pupils we are not upholding the basic principles of our mission.

To differentiate effectively, teachers need to learn how best to take advantage of all the opportunities outlined in our Learning and Teaching Policies for examples in techniques of intervention and questioning and using assessment for learning.

For learning to be effective, our school differentiates to support a child in their learning and to enrich and extend learning. Differentiation is clearly planned in SOW and short term planning.

Forms of differentiation:

Differentiation is not a single event; it is a process. This process involves recognising the variety of individual needs within a class, planning to meet those needs, providing appropriate delivery, and evaluating the effectiveness of the activities in order to maximise the achievements of individual pupils.

While pupil outcomes will vary, it is the teacher’s response to these outcomes that allows differentiation to take place. The content of the curriculum is nowadays defined by statute. To deliver the content of the curriculum, resources are necessary, and tasks have to be designed to enable pupils to acquire knowledge and understanding as well as developing competences. Whilst working at the tasks, pupils will have support from you, classroom assistants and other members of the class as you help and guide them through the process. When your pupils produce work you will provide feedback to them by correcting and marking that work, and by commenting on how it can be improved. In giving different comments and advice to different pupils according to their strengths and weaknesses, you provide each pupil with a different response.

We are looking at strategies in four main areas:

Differentiation by resource Differentiation by task Differentiation by support Differentiation by response

There is also a checklist for evaluating content and resources.

Differentiation by resource:

We help pupils s access the course content at an appropriate level by the resources that we use. Here is a checklist to help you evaluate content and resources in relation to the individual needs of your own pupils:

• Reading

Could there be a simpler version?

Are there opportunities for more illustrations?

Would symbols add meaning? Could these be developed by the class? Could content be tape recorded or videoed?

Can pupils work in pairs so that competent readers can help others? Is text in electronic format? Text-to-speech software could be used.

Are there extra resources (CD-ROMs, reference books at a variety of levels, extension worksheets) for strugglers and quick finishers?

• Layout

Can work be spread out over more pages?

Is work in clear print, e.g. word processed in a sans-serif font? Are there line breaks in appropriate places?

Could there be more emphasis on key words?

• Use of White space Emphasis

Line breaks

Symbols Illustrations Labels

• Content

Can the core content be reduced? Is it easy to extend it?

Is there an appropriate alternative to this core?

• Vocabulary

Can you provide a word bank for revision/introduction of key vocabulary?

Have you got a further vocabulary list for increasing the complexity of discussion and recording?

Are there any extra opportunities to practise using/reading/spelling the new vocabulary in a motivating context?

Do you provide opportunities to keep checking out and reinforcing prerequisite knowledge and vocabulary?

• Recording

Could pupils sometimes use tape recorders or video for reporting results, recording facts, keeping notes, telling stories and so on?

Could there be electronic versions of worksheets?

Is a clickable grid appropriate? Should it have words, phrases or symbols? Could a good note-taker be used in paired or group work?

Differentiation by task

Pupils work in a variety of ways and bring different abilities and aptitudes to that work. One form of differentiation is to provide a variety of tasks that cover the main content area in order to cater for the variety of individuals in the class.

• Provide an appropriate variety of tasks

Match tasks to pupils’ abilities, aptitudes and interests Provide a range of tasks to allow choice

Build learning routes

Differentiation by support

We know that some pupils need more help than others to complete a given task. If we provide help we are also providing differentiation by support. The strategies suggested in this section provide guidance on how differentiation by support may be given more systematically.

• Support from other adults and students Individual support from the teacher

Support from carefully selected systems and technology Celebration of achievement

Cooperative teaching Small group tutoring

Differentiation by response

Even when they work on a common task, the products of any group of pupils will exhibit differences. This is what we mean by differentiated outcomes. Each individual has a unique combination of strengths and weaknesses, and so the work of each will need to be responded to differently.

• Make lesson objectives accessible Make assessment criteria explicit Develop individual action plans Create a system of response partners Provide learning/ thinking logs

Differentiation by outcome, if inadequately planned and administered can seem to fall outside the concept of extension. Able children need as much challenge, stimulus and ‘stretching’ as other pupils.

Unless their needs are addressed, there can be a tendency for able pupils to be confined to the core National Curriculum and to languish in classrooms, especially in mixed ability classrooms, where teachers may assume that they will ‘find their own

level’. Research findings do not suggest that this will happen.

Enrichment and extension are key terms when differentiation for the more able is being considered.

Enrichment, as Teare (1997) points out, has been variously described as

‘A higher quality of work than the norm for the age group e.g.

Work covered in more depth

A broadening of the learning experience Promoting a higher level of thinking

The inclusion of additional subject areas and/or activities

The use of supplementary materials beyond the normal range of resources.’ Enrichment can occur within the normal classroom. For example, while most history pupils might study the Blitz and its effects, those who already know a good deal about the Blitz might research, and compare with it, the reasons for and the effects of the British bombing of Dresden.

‘Enrichment’ is sometimes used interchangeably with ‘extension’, or taken to include some forms of acceleration. A useful working definition of enrichment might be that it offers experiences and opportunities outside the ‘standard’ curriculum. It should, however, be better planned, and more closely integrated with the rest of the curriculum, rather than appear in the form of a variety of one-off, bolt-on activities.

Extension’ is the term for a wide variety of methods of offering able pupils stimulation, more challenge, and/or more pace. As such, it can be said to include the process of acceleration. It is not the same as ‘follow-up work’, which is often a requirement to do ‘more of the same’, to continue using the same resources, e.g. the next textbook in a scheme, or to show more of the same evidence of knowledge, skills or concepts. ‘More of the same’ is likely to demotivate pupils, who may come to dread being given more work of the same kind as their only likely reward for working hard. Progression should be in the forefront, with the extension pitched at an appropriately ‘higher’ level than existing understanding, skill or knowledge.

WHAT ARE THE KEY ISSUES TO CONSIDER?

For differentiation for the more and less able is to work, our school has established consistent, flexible and effective methods of acting on the results of assessment in all contexts, at the levels of the classroom and of the whole cohort. We use:

• Pre-test or other formal assessment.( e.g. maths baseline)
• Classroom questioning.
• Brainstorming.
• Setting an open task.
• Concept mapping.
• Using a quiz.
• Building on existing evidence.

Some of these are practicable at the ‘macro’ level. They can be used before a cohort or year group moves on to new units of work. Some methods may be more suited to

use at ‘micro’ classroom level. For example, they can establish future groupings or ‘levels’ of work within individual classes when a new project, block of work, or topic is broached.

Since hidden abilities cannot always be established by assessment, teachers should offer more challenge where possible, at least in the classroom context:

• Sometimes to a whole group
• Sometimes to a targeted group
• Sometimes to those who work at speed
• Sometimes to those who want the challenge.

Differentiating for the more able

It should not be assumed that differentiation for the more able involves offering less structure or guidance in tasks, or less personal support. These features are often, wrongly, confused with such ideas as ‘open-endedness’. Some more able pupils have problems with organising themselves and/or their tasks. ‘Scaffolding’ their learning can help tremendously, and does not displace challenge, or a demand that they should take risks. Research shows that many pupils feel they need guidance on what should be their short-term learning targets and their longer-term goals.

Explaining openly the criteria for their assessment, and even negotiating the criteria, helps provide further structure and guidance. In addition, timely interventions and challenges from an adult will reduce the tendency of some able pupils to ‘coast’ or to become overwhelmed by meticulous detail in their thinking.

Techniques for differentiation

Good interaction. This includes differentiated questioning and probing questions, discussion between pupil and teacher, collaborative discussion between pupils, and the timing and quality of interventions by the teacher. Teachers should inform themselves as well as they can about these methods, how to plan for them, and how to respond to their effects.

Questions to ask:

• Do I understand ‘differentiation’, and all the options, within differentiation,

which are or should be available to me?

• As planners of units of work, do we tend to stick to only one or two methods of differentiation. For example, do we rarely if ever vary the groups to which we give more challenging work?
• Do we differentiate rather too frequently by outcome, and then without making clear enough our expectations to different groups of pupils?

• Do we tend to give follow-up work (‘more of the same’) rather than extend success with tasks that demand higher-order thinking skills, add more challenge, or encourage risk-taking?

Structures in organisation to support differentiation.

• Within class children are set for maths, Reading and Writing. Through formative assessment these groupings are flexible and children will move within groups during the year.
• SOW support the short term planning for differentiation
• IEP’s support the learning of children by focusing on realistic targeted support.
• Differentiation can occur with class or children can be withdrawn for extra support by SENCO.

Headmaster                                               Coordinator                                               Gov