Adaptations & Accessibility
Removing Barriers, Creating Opportunities and Ensuring Every Child Can Succeed
At Eaves Primary School, we believe that every child deserves access to an ambitious, engaging and inclusive curriculum.
We recognise that children learn in different ways and may experience different barriers to learning, communication, participation or independence.
Our approach to adaptations and accessibility is rooted in understanding individual needs, maintaining high expectations and making thoughtful adjustments that enable every child to participate, achieve and thrive.
Through high-quality teaching, accessible learning environments, appropriate resources and personalised support, we aim to ensure that all children can experience success.
At Eaves, inclusion does not mean expecting every child to learn in exactly the same way. It means providing the right opportunities, adaptations and support so that every child can reach their potential.
What Do We Mean by Adaptations and Accessibility?
Adaptations are the thoughtful changes teachers and other adults make to teaching, resources, environments or approaches to help children access learning.
Accessibility means ensuring that children can participate meaningfully in the curriculum and wider school life, regardless of their individual needs or barriers.
Adaptations may be small adjustments within everyday classroom teaching or more personalised arrangements for children who require additional support.
Examples include:
Presenting information in different ways.
Breaking learning into manageable steps.
Using visual resources, models and practical equipment.
Providing additional processing time.
Adjusting seating or classroom organisation.
Using accessible print formats or assistive technology.
Providing alternative ways to communicate or record learning.
Offering appropriate sensory or emotional regulation support.
Adapting activities, routines and environments to support participation.
Our aim is to remove unnecessary barriers without reducing ambition or limiting opportunities.
High Expectations for Every Child
At Eaves, we believe that all children should experience challenge, achievement and success.
Adaptations are not about automatically making learning easier or lowering expectations. They are about ensuring that children can access appropriately ambitious learning through the support and approaches they need.
Teachers carefully consider the knowledge, skills and understanding children are expected to develop, alongside any barriers that may prevent them from demonstrating their learning.
Where appropriate, we adapt how learning is taught, practised or recorded while maintaining the intended learning goals.
We recognise that some children may require personalised learning outcomes or additional provision linked to their identified needs.
Our approach is guided by a simple principle:
Same ambition. Different pathways. Every child included.
Adaptations Through Our GROWTH Framework
Our GROWTH Framework provides a consistent approach to teaching and learning while allowing teachers to respond flexibly to individual needs.
G – Gather Prior Knowledge
Teachers assess what children already know and identify any gaps, misconceptions or barriers to learning.
Adaptations may include visual prompts, practical resources, retrieval activities or additional opportunities to revisit previous learning.
R – Receive New Learning
New knowledge is introduced through clear explanations, explicit instruction and modelling.
Teachers may adapt the pace of instruction, use visual representations, reduce unnecessary complexity or provide additional processing time.
O – Over to the Class
Guided practice, questioning and collaborative activities help children develop understanding.
Teachers adapt questioning, provide scaffolds, model responses and offer alternative ways for children to contribute.
W – We Can Do This
Children apply their learning with increasing independence.
Appropriate resources, accessible materials and targeted support enable pupils to complete tasks while developing confidence and independence.
T – Tell Me How It Went
Teachers use assessment, feedback and pupil voice to understand how successfully children have accessed learning.
Children may demonstrate their understanding through spoken explanations, practical activities, written work or other appropriate methods.
H – How Do We Connect Our Learning?
Teachers support children to revisit, apply and connect knowledge in different contexts.
Additional examples, familiar resources or opportunities for overlearning may help children transfer and retain knowledge.
Our GROWTH Framework provides consistency in teaching while allowing flexibility in how children are supported to learn.
How Do We Adapt Teaching at Eaves?
1. Clear Explanations and Explicit Instruction
Teachers introduce new learning through clear explanations, modelling and carefully sequenced steps.
Additional repetition, worked examples and checks for understanding are used where appropriate.
2. Scaffolding and Gradual Independence
Temporary supports help children access challenging learning.
These may include sentence starters, writing frames, vocabulary banks, practical resources, visual prompts and adult modelling.
Support is reviewed and gradually reduced when children are ready, helping them develop independence.
3. Accessible Resources and Materials
Teachers consider how learning materials are presented so that children can access information effectively.
This may include enlarged print, accessible fonts, clear layouts, adapted worksheets, visual resources or digital technology.
4. Flexible Communication Approaches
We recognise that children may need different ways to understand instructions, express ideas and demonstrate knowledge.
Adults may use visual supports, simplified instructions, additional processing time, communication aids or alternative recording methods.
5. Thoughtful Classroom Environments
Classroom organisation, seating, sensory considerations and access to resources are reviewed to support children's individual needs.
Adaptations may include reduced distractions, movement opportunities, appropriate sensory resources or access to supportive spaces.
6. Responsive Assessment and Feedback
Teachers continually check understanding and respond to children's needs.
This may involve revisiting explanations, changing a teaching approach, providing additional guided practice or adjusting the level of support.
7. Appropriate Use of Additional Adults
Teachers retain responsibility for the learning and progress of every child.
Teaching assistants and other adults support learning through planned approaches, scaffolding, questioning and opportunities for independent practice.
Additional adult support is carefully considered to ensure that it promotes participation, confidence and independence rather than unnecessary dependence.
Understanding Different Areas of Need
We recognise that children's needs may relate to one or more of the four broad areas of special educational needs identified in the SEND Code of Practice.
These areas help us consider potential barriers and plan appropriate support.
Communication and Interaction
Some children may experience difficulties understanding language, expressing themselves or engaging in social communication.
Adaptations may include visual prompts, clear and concise language, additional processing time, structured opportunities for communication and personalised communication strategies.
Cognition and Learning
Some children may require additional support to acquire, retain, recall or apply knowledge and skills.
Adaptations may include smaller learning steps, explicit modelling, repeated practice, retrieval opportunities, scaffolding and carefully selected resources.
Social, Emotional and Mental Health
Some children may experience difficulties with emotional regulation, attention, relationships, anxiety or engagement.
Support may include predictable routines, trusted adults, emotional check-ins, regulation strategies, clear expectations and personalised approaches.
Sensory and/or Physical Needs
Some children may require adjustments relating to vision, hearing, sensory processing, physical access or mobility.
Adaptations may include accessible print, seating adjustments, specialist equipment, sensory considerations, physical accessibility arrangements and advice from relevant professionals.
We recognise that every child is an individual. Support is based on their specific strengths and needs rather than assumptions linked to a particular diagnosis or category.
Accessibility Beyond the Classroom
Our commitment to accessibility extends to every aspect of school life.
We aim to ensure that children can participate in:
Assemblies and whole-school celebrations.
Playtimes and lunchtimes.
Educational visits and residential experiences.
Sporting activities and physical education.
School clubs and enrichment opportunities.
Pupil leadership and ambassador roles.
Performances, special events and community activities.
Where barriers are identified, we consider reasonable adjustments, appropriate resources, additional preparation or individual support arrangements to enable participation.
We recognise that accessibility includes physical access, communication, learning, sensory needs and emotional wellbeing.
Working Together to Identify and Remove Barriers
Effective adaptations begin with understanding the child.
At Eaves, teachers work with pupils, parents and carers, our SENDCo and relevant professionals to identify barriers and consider appropriate strategies.
This may involve:
Listening to children about what helps them learn.
Gathering information from families.
Reviewing classroom observations and assessment information.
Considering advice from specialist services.
Planning and implementing appropriate adjustments.
Monitoring the impact of adaptations.
Reviewing and refining support as children's needs change.
Where children require provision that is additional to or different from ordinarily available classroom teaching, we use our graduated approach of Assess, Plan, Do, Review.
For children with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs), relevant provision is planned and delivered in accordance with their individual plans.
Developing Independence Through Adaptations
One of our key aims is to help children become confident and increasingly independent learners.
Effective adaptations provide support when it is needed while encouraging children to develop their own strategies, skills and confidence.
This means:
Teaching children how to use supportive resources.
Encouraging pupils to recognise when they need help.
Giving children opportunities to make choices.
Promoting independent problem-solving.
Gradually reducing scaffolds when appropriate.
Celebrating effort, progress and increasing independence.
We recognise that some adaptations or assistive resources may remain essential for a child to access learning independently.
Independence does not mean learning without support. It means having the tools, skills and confidence to participate as independently as possible.
Our Legal Responsibilities and Commitment to Accessibility
Our approach is informed by the Equality Act 2010, the Children and Families Act 2014 and the SEND Code of Practice.
We recognise our responsibility to make reasonable adjustments for disabled pupils and to support children with special educational needs.
We also recognise the importance of accessibility planning and working proactively to identify and reduce barriers to participation.
Our SEND Information Report, Accessibility Plan and other relevant school policies provide further information about our statutory arrangements and the support available.