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How do we adapt the curriculum and the environment?

Quality First Teaching

At St Barnabas, we provide high-quality teaching for all pupils as the first response to supporting those with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). Teachers regularly assess and monitor progress, identify barriers to learning, and respond by making adjustments to the curriculum, teaching strategies, or the physical learning environment.

Targeted Support

To meet individual needs, pupils may receive additional support such as:

  • Additional spelling, reading, or maths practice

  • Fine motor or gross motor support

  • Speech and language groups

  • Social skills groups

Making Adjustments and Adaptations

We are committed to ensuring that barriers to learning are removed through effective scaffolding and carefully adapted teaching. Teachers use resources, models, and images to support understanding and adjust their teaching approaches and interventions to meet individual needs.

Curriculum Adaptations

Our curriculum is adapted in a range of ways to ensure it is accessible to all learners. These include:

  • Using technology to support learning

  • Providing explicit instruction

  • Incorporating cognitive and metacognitive strategies

  • Applying scaffolding techniques

  • Flexible grouping to support learning

  • Adjusting staffing and providing targeted adult support

  • Pre-teaching of key concepts or vocabulary

  • Allowing additional processing time

  • Breaking down instructions into manageable steps (chunking)

  • Using visual supports and prompts

Resources to Support Learning

We provide a variety of resources to help pupils access learning, including:

  • Visual support, task boards, and visual timetables

  • Coloured overlays to support reading

  • “Now and Next” boards to structure routines

  • Timers and ICT tools

  • Practical equipment and manipulatives

Classroom Environment

Classrooms are designed to support a calm, focused learning environment. We make use of:

  • Neutral displays to reduce visual overload

  • Pastel shades on whiteboards to support accessibility

  • Individual workstations where appropriate

  • Privacy screens to reduce distractions

Would you like me to also create a parent-friendly summary version of this (with shorter sentences and simpler vocabulary), so it can be included in your SEND Information Report or on your school website?