Scaffolding & Developing Independence

Providing the Right Support at the Right Time

At Eaves Primary School, we believe that every child should have the opportunity to access ambitious learning, experience success and develop confidence as an independent learner.

Scaffolding is an important part of our inclusive teaching approach. It involves providing carefully planned support to help children understand new concepts, overcome barriers and complete learning activities that they may not yet be able to manage independently.

Through our GROWTH Framework, teachers use scaffolding thoughtfully, ensuring that support is responsive to individual needs and gradually reduced as children's knowledge, skills and confidence develop.

Our aim is to provide the right support, at the right time, while maintaining high expectations for every learner.

What Is Scaffolding?

Scaffolding is the temporary support provided to help children access learning and achieve success.

Just as scaffolding supports a building during construction, educational scaffolding supports children while they develop the knowledge and skills needed to complete tasks independently.

Scaffolding may include visual prompts, practical resources, worked examples, vocabulary banks, structured questions, adult guidance and opportunities to practise alongside others.

Effective scaffolding is carefully matched to children's needs. It provides enough support to enable success without removing opportunities for pupils to think, make decisions, solve problems and develop independence.

Scaffolding Through Our GROWTH Framework

At Eaves, scaffolding is embedded within our GROWTH Framework and supports children throughout the learning process.

G – Gather Prior Knowledge

Teachers revisit previous learning, activate existing knowledge and identify any gaps in understanding.

Visual prompts, retrieval activities and practical examples help children make connections and prepare for new learning.

R – Receive New Learning

Teachers introduce new knowledge through clear explanations, modelling and carefully selected resources.

Worked examples, vocabulary support, diagrams and practical demonstrations help make unfamiliar concepts accessible.

O – Over to the Class

Children begin applying new learning with appropriate guidance and support.

Teachers use questioning, shared activities, visual prompts and guided practice to help pupils develop understanding and address misconceptions.

W – We Can Do This

Children develop confidence in applying their learning, with scaffolds and resources available where needed.

Teachers carefully consider when support can be reduced, encouraging children to take increasing responsibility for their work.

T – Tell Me How It Went

Children reflect on their learning, explain their thinking and identify what helped them succeed.

Teachers use feedback and assessment to identify where further scaffolding may be needed and where children are ready for greater independence.

H – How Do We Connect Our Learning?

Children make connections between new and previous learning, applying their knowledge in different contexts.

Teachers support pupils in recognising how strategies and skills can be transferred to new situations.

Our GROWTH Framework helps ensure that scaffolding is purposeful, responsive and focused on developing independent learners.

What Does Scaffolding Look Like in Our Classrooms?

At Eaves, teachers use a range of approaches to remove barriers to learning.

Visual Scaffolding

Visual timetables, diagrams, images, word mats, vocabulary banks and step-by-step instructions help children understand information and organise their learning.

Verbal Scaffolding

Teachers use questioning, prompts, discussion, sentence starters and thinking aloud to support children's understanding and communication.

Practical Scaffolding

Manipulatives, concrete resources, number lines, practical demonstrations and hands-on activities help children explore and understand new concepts.

Written Scaffolding

Writing frames, sentence stems, worked examples, checklists and planning templates help children organise their ideas and complete learning activities.

Social and Collaborative Scaffolding

Paired discussion, structured group work, peer modelling and guided practice provide opportunities for children to learn alongside others.

Adult Support

Teachers and additional adults provide carefully targeted guidance, prompts and encouragement to help pupils access learning.

Adults aim to develop children's confidence and independence rather than completing tasks for them.

Scaffolding and the Development of Independence

An important principle of effective scaffolding is that support should not become a permanent barrier to independence.

At Eaves, teachers consider what children can already do, what support they currently need and how that support can be gradually reduced.

This may involve:

• Moving from worked examples to independent problem-solving.

• Reducing the number of prompts provided.

• Encouraging children to select and use resources independently.

• Replacing direct adult guidance with questions or reminders.

• Providing opportunities to practise and consolidate learning.

• Supporting children to evaluate their own work and identify next steps.

Some children will continue to require particular resources, adaptations

or reasonable adjustments to access learning successfully. Developing independence does not mean removing essential support.

Our aim is to develop independence through appropriate support, not simply through the withdrawal of help.

How Does Scaffolding Support Inclusion?

Scaffolding helps remove barriers to learning by:

• Making challenging learning more accessible.

• Reducing unnecessary cognitive demands.

• Supporting children with language, communication and processing needs.

• Helping pupils organise information and complete tasks.

• Providing additional structure where required.

• Supporting confidence, participation and engagement.

• Allowing children to work towards the same ambitious learning goals.

• Encouraging increasing independence and resilience.

For children with SEND, scaffolding can provide essential access to classroom learning while enabling them to participate meaningfully alongside their peers.

Teachers recognise that scaffolding should be flexible, personalised where necessary and regularly reviewed to ensure that it remains effective.

Scaffolding Across Our School

Early Years

Adults use modelling, language development, visual prompts, practical experiences and carefully planned interactions to support children's learning through play and exploration.

Reading and Phonics

Sound mats, phoneme frames, modelling, repeated practice and appropriately matched reading materials help children develop early reading skills and confidence.

Writing

Vocabulary banks, sentence stems, oral rehearsal, modelled writing and planning frames help pupils organise their ideas and develop as writers.

Mathematics

Concrete resources, pictorial representations, worked examples and visual models help children develop conceptual understanding and mathematical independence.

Across the Wider Curriculum

Knowledge organisers, diagrams, vocabulary support, structured questioning and practical resources help pupils access and apply subject-specific knowledge.

Our Commitment to Inclusive Teaching

At Eaves Primary School, we recognise that every child may need support at different points in their learning journey.

Through our GROWTH Framework and evidence-informed teaching approaches, we provide purposeful scaffolding that removes barriers, builds confidence and supports children to become increasingly independent.

We maintain ambitious expectations while recognising that the support required to achieve success may look different for every child.

The Right Support. Growing Confidence. Independent Learners.