A journey of developing inclusive teaching practices, with Emma Jones.
The number of pupils facing complex barriers to learning in schools is rising.1 The drastic increase in the number of children requiring additional or different support is a source of anxiety, stress and burnout for many teachers – who feel as though they are always failing someone. They cannot spread themselves far enough to reach all thirty learners in their class.
As a Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCo) and SEND consultant, I have juggled the pressures of trying to support and please everyone, whilst ultimately feeling as though I cannot please anyone. Over time, I’ve realised that a shift in mindset and approach can radically improve the learning and wellbeing of all students, and in turn, my ability to survive and thrive in my role.
Small change, significant impact
This mindset shift originated midway through my first year of teaching, when I found myself frantically darting around the room, updating ten individual ‘now-and-next’ boards. By the time I’d got to the tenth, the first needed updating again, and I hadn’t managed to teach or support anyone in between. Determined that there was a better way, I created a large now-and-next board at the front of the classroom and used it to deliver every instruction for all children. I noted three instant impacts of this change:
- I had significantly more time to help all children because I wasn’t dividing myself into too many pieces.
- Several children who had not previously had their own now-and-next board benefited from the whole class one. It became apparent that they had previously struggled to understand or recall instructions, but they had slipped under the radar. These children were more engaged and active in their learning when the supportive resource became available to everyone.
- The whole-class approach did not have a detrimental impact on any children.
Impact three was particularly significant. I have always been saddened and frustrated to hear colleagues challenge inclusive teaching approaches under the impression that they could be harmful to other pupils.
In fact, I found as a rule that: what helps one, hinders none.
The children I was aiming to help with the now-and-next board benefited, but so did many others who weren’t receiving targeted support. The remainder of the class was indifferent to the change.
Essential for some, helpful for all
I applied this to many other reasonable adjustments in my classroom. It felt wrong to give a small number of pupils access to fidget toys whilst the others looked on enviously so I gave every child a toy. There were, inevitably, two days of chaos and distraction! Once the novelty wore off though, most children never looked at their fidget toy again. The children who needed the resources were free to continue using them, safe in the knowledge that they were no different from their peers, because everyone had one.
Similarly, I found that many of the children who had ‘movement breaks’ written into their plans did not want to take them. Having breaks caused them to miss out in the classroom, and they didn’t like being treated differently. Incorporating movement breaks and a more active teaching style into our daily routine meant, as before, that all children had what they needed to learn and regulate.
Reasonable adjustments and individualised support are important, but removing barriers to inclusive learning and participation is far more effective in helping all children to succeed.
Taking the approach of, “if it helps one, we’re all doing it”, massively reduced my workload and helped me reach children whose needs were previously hidden. The approach includes far more than just whole-class resources.
Eight inclusive learning practices
These are a small number of examples from an enormous list of possibilities, but the key principle is simple: what helps one, hinders none.
- Consider neurodiverse children when designing a classroom space: Less is always more. Removing clutter and having fewer visuals on the walls helps most children feel calmer and more able to focus.
- Use a total communication approach: If one child benefits from symbols, visuals, sign-supported English, or written instructions, there is a good chance that many other pupils will, too. Communicate everything clearly and via multiple modes.
- Provide exact models: An example on the board is not the same as an example in an exercise book.
- Talk less: Educators often feel the need to be visibly active and fill every second with learning, but less is always more. Give concise instructions and develop consistent routines, reducing the need for in-depth explanations.
- Allow processing time: Ask a question, wait for a few hands, then count to ten in your head before taking responses. Many of those ‘silent’ children need more time to think.
- Make movement part of all learning: Allow learners to stand where possible and move around the full classroom during whole-class activities. Integrate music, movement and sensory circuits into all lessons.
- Use the classroom as a learning resource: Ensure that displays aren’t just pretty wallpaper. Use them to represent learning together and refer to them regularly so children know where to look for help.
- Use a safe voice: Many children cannot respond to loud, energetic voices. Where possible, channel your inner calm. Children engage best when they feel safe.
Making those reasonable adjustments the minimum standard is key to a safe, happy and effective classroom. By making inclusive strategies the norm, we create classrooms where barriers are lowered for everyone – and teachers don’t burn out trying to dance thirty different routines!
Summary
So, picture the child in your class who faces the most complex barriers to learning. Imagine what would happen if that child’s provision were the norm. That simple shift in mindset to what helps one, hinders none, can transform teaching and learning for the better.
References
- Department for Education (2025) Special Educational Needs in England. Available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/special-educational-needs-in-england/2024-25 (Accessed: 28/08/2025).
Author
Emma is a SENCo, specialist teacher, and lecturer in primary education. She is a passionate believer that every child has the potential to change the world if educators create inclusive learning spaces for all.
