Differentiation Course Information

Good teachers have always differentiated the work that children were involved with but the demands and opportunities of today’s schools – inclusion, raising attainment, personalised learning, curriculum access, classroom support availability, entitlement etc. - mean that it has even greater resonance and implications for today’s teacher. It also has huge implications for the teacher’s skills and competencies in terms of class management, the understanding of learning theory and appropriate teaching and learning styles, assessment, monitoring of work and lesson evaluation, the management of teaching assistants and a teacher’s own subject knowledge and the ability to extend and support in specific curriculum areas.
We will consider, amongst other things, what we mean by ‘differentiation’, how it impacts upon current demands such as personalised learning, what different forms differentiation might take, issues related to class management/organisation and the effective utilisation of support staff and a teacher’s own subject and curriculum knowledge. We will also consider the close links with assessment issues, inclusion, progression and continuity and the raising attainment etc.

Related standards: Q1, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 18, 19, 20, 22, 25, 26, 32, 33

Before the Course:

1. Jot down the ways that you, as a class teacher, might differentiate in a lesson.

2. Observe teachers in your school – identify how they differentiate.

3. Look at a range of subjects – maths, English, art, PE, science etc – do some provide greater opportunities or demands so far a differentiation is concerned?

4. Which ‘subjects’ or curriculum areas do you feel confident in being able to effectively differentiate work. For example, would you feel confident in extending or providing the right questions/prompts to a child with already well established musical talents. Or would you know how to effectively support a child struggling with letter formation.

5. Does the school have a specific policy or guidelines on differentiation (or any of the other initiatives mentioned above e.g. personalised learning, utilisation of TA etc. Review these.