The art of differentiation means that it is possible to effectively teach a mixed ability class, which may comprise many different learners including those with English as an additional language or SEN.
Differentiation allows equity and excellence to co-exist in our classrooms irrespective of the challenge we face daily as educators. It is therefore important for educators to understand the fundamental principles before they are afforded the time to put these skills into practice.
These days, differentiation is often termed as adaptive teaching. Is there a difference? We might consider that while old-school differentiation focuses on individual learners, adaptive teaching looks at the whole class.
As educator Matt Bromley wrote recently in SecEd, Headteacher Update’s sister magazine, last month: “It is the difference between teaching up to 30 different lessons at once – matching the pace and pitch to each individual learner and providing different tasks and resources to different learners – and teaching the same lesson to all 30 learners by ‘teaching to the top’ while providing scaffolds to those who need additional initial support in order to access the same ambitious curriculum and meet our high expectations.” (Bromley, 2025)
The Teachers’ Standards
Standard 5 requires all teachers to “adapt teaching to respond to the strengths and needs of all pupils” (DfE, 2011). This includes teachers being required to:
- Know when and how to differentiate appropriately, using approaches which enable pupils to be taught effectively.
- Have a secure understanding of how a range of factors can inhibit pupils’ ability to learn, and how best to overcome these.
- Demonstrate an awareness of the physical, social and intellectual development of children, and know how to adapt teaching to support pupils’ education at different stages of development.
- Have a clear understanding of the needs of all pupils, including those with SEN; those of high ability; those with EAL; those with disabilities; and be able to use and evaluate distinctive teaching approaches to engage and support them.
Principles of differentiation
The fast-paced nature of schools today can make us forget that teaching and learning is underpinned by some simple principles: What is the learning objective for this lesson? How will each child arrive there?
Differentiation, in similar fashion, requires us to reflect on the essence of the word, recognising that learning is literally different for us all.
I use the following principles to improve my teaching practice, particularly when it comes to differentiation:
- Every child has their own interests.
- Children’s ability to understand complex ideas will vary.
- Every child will have a different approach to learning.
- Every child will demonstrate their learning differently.
- Every pupil will demonstrate growth at different levels.
- Every child has the ability to learn.
- Every child should be given the opportunity to learn.
- Every child needs a safe environment to make mistakes.
- Every child deserves high expectations.
- All children want to learn.
Differentiation strategies for the classroom
My experience teaching across multiple settings has taught me that the biggest contributor to pupil success is high-quality teaching. If I am judging my own lessons, I am reflecting on how all pupils were able to access and engage in the learning experience.
The seed that bears fruit is the differentiation that goes into the planning ahead of each lesson. Here are some of my strategies to effectively differentiate learning for pupils.
Defining your learning objective
Most, if not all, lessons have an objective. What do I want these pupils to have learned by the end of the lesson? I rarely, if ever, change my learning objective based on the individuality of my pupils because it is not feasible. Instead, I think of my learning objective first and consider how all my pupils will be able to achieve this.
Case study: A pupil with mild learning difficulties is working on adding three-digit numbers using the column method. However, this pupil faces challenges in performing this task independently. The pupil also requires the use of manipulatives, such as Numicon, to help with solving mathematical problems, as abstract concepts are currently difficult to grasp.
To support this learner, the learning objective is adjusted by reducing the complexity of the task. Instead of three-digit addition, the pupil is given two-digit addition problems to solve. The use of manipulatives allows the pupil to work with tangible numbers, which makes the problem-solving process more accessible and understandable.
Although the specific numbers involved are modified, the core learning objective remains the same: to correctly add digits together. The focus is on mastering the fundamental skill of addition. This adjustment to the learning objective ensures that the pupil is still engaged in the discipline of adding, while working within their current abilities.
Choosing the right provocation
For the majority of my lessons, I always consider how I am going to introduce a topic or concept to my pupils, particularly if they are being exposed to it for the very first time. Provocations are important in the process of learning and engaging in a concept. However, not every child is engaged in the same way.
Although every pupil has their own way of connecting with a concept, most engage with a video, a story, a problem that needs to be solved (typically used in math lessons), or an inquiry-based activity where pupils are hands-on in a self-discovery task.
Provocations are not only great for generating some excitement ahead of a topic, but they are also powerful in making it accessible to your learners.
Case study: A class is learning about biomes, a topic that many pupils are unfamiliar with. To engage the pupils, an informative, child-friendly YouTube video is chosen to provide both graphics and explanations to capture their attention. To support diverse learning needs, captions are enabled for the video. However, 10% of the class consists of EAL pupils who are still learning English. While exposure to language through the video is beneficial, additional strategies will be necessary to ensure comprehension. The following strategies are therefore implemented:
- Pre-teaching key vocabulary and concepts before the lesson to provide foundational knowledge.
- Assigning optional videos in pupils' home language to reinforce the topic.
- Providing optional texts in pupils' home language to support reading comprehension.
- Allowing pupils to translate texts into their home language using iPads, promoting understanding and retention.
Effective instruction delivery
When teaching a mixed ability class, the following strategies are fundamental:
Demonstrating the process (modelling): When explaining a concept or a topic, it is important to model what you want the pupils to do. If you are teaching your pupils how to solve a division problem, your explanation should be followed by an example of you solving this problem yourself. While doing this, thinking “out loud” will model the metacognition. Make mistakes and model what it looks like to do live editing on your work. When the pupils are watching you do what you require them to, it brings an extra sense of confidence and clarity going into the task. Furthermore, when they are sharing this experience with you, all pupils are engaged in their learning before they go on to complete an independent task.
Collaborative problem-solving: Once you have modelled what it would look like to solve a problem, invite the class to do this with you. Again, think out loud, ask questions, invite contributions and discussion so you experience this journey together as a team. This also provides an opportunity for assessment for learning if higher order questions are prepared in advance of the lesson.
Building vocabulary: At the start of the lesson, have a vocabulary list that is easily accessible and visible to all pupils. Go through these key words together and define them. Ask children to consider when they may use this vocabulary and then model it within the appropriate section of your lesson, encouraging them to do the same when they are discussing their ideas, writing, or engaging in peer talk.
Using visual aids: Where possible use visuals that complement what is being explained. This can be an image on a slide, a video or even physical copies of pictures and graphics that the pupils also have access to in the lesson.
Incorporating manipulatives: There will be occasions when your explicit instruction requires pupils to use some or all of their senses as part of their learning experience.
- In maths, a bag of skittles can be used to demonstrate the concept of estimating.
- In literacy, a blanket could be used as a prop in a story.
- In science when exploring the properties of a material, children could be given pieces of metal and wood to feel and smell.
The key thing is that all children have different levels to which they will engage in your instruction. Most children will just be fine with the verbal explanation but almost all children will love the opportunity to touch, smell and even taste their way through their learning journey.
Scaffolding texts: A frequent discussion among teachers is whether all pupils require scaffolding. The short answer is yes. Particularly during written work. Where pupils are expected to produce a text, scaffolding proves to be a significant strategy in supporting pupils who face challenges with writing. When children are given a scaffolded text, it enables them to view the desired structure while providing them with both the vocabulary and the sentence structure they will require for their written work. The assumption is that children will only copy what the teacher has written. This is why it’s important to be specific with the words and phrases that children must change to make it their own. Furthermore, do not underestimate the desire of our pupils to be innovative and develop their ideas entirely on their own.
- Emmanuel Awoyelu is a primary school teacher, SENCO and former assistant headteacher. He is currently working overseas as a specialist inclusion teacher in the UAE and has a wealth of experience supporting children from disadvantaged backgrounds. He developed the tutoring programme used in his previous school and has created similar tutoring models for his charity The Reach Out Project. Visit www.mannyawo.com. Find his previous contributions for Headteacher Update via www.headteacher-update.com/authors/emmanuel-awoyelu
Further information & resources
- Bromley: What does inclusive teaching look like? Utilising adaptive and responsive teaching strategies, SecEd, 2025: www.sec-ed.co.uk/content/best-practice/inclusive-adaptive-responsive-teaching-strategies
- DfE: Teachers’ Standards, 2011: www.gov.uk/government/publications/teachers-standards