Definition
Differentiation is adapting teaching (task, outcome, level of support, or pace) so that all pupils can access learning. The 2014 SEND reforms and the Education Endowment Foundation guidance have shifted UK practice from differentiation as the principal approach to "adaptive teaching": broader, less task-by-task, more responsive to the pupil profile.
In context for parents
Key checkpoints
- Adapting teaching (task, outcome, support, or pace) so that all pupils can access learning.
- The 2014 reforms and EEF guidance shifted UK practice from "differentiation" to "adaptive teaching".
- Early Career Framework and the Teachers' Standards (2024) use "adaptive teaching" language.
- EEF SEND guidance (2021) sets principles: high expectations for all; quality first teaching; planned scaffolds; small-group interventions where needed.
- Section F should specify named adaptive teaching strategies (pre-teaching, scaffolding, named programmes) rather than rely on generic "differentiation".
Classic differentiation in UK classrooms appeared as three or four task levels per lesson: bronze, silver, gold; chilli ratings on the worksheet; named groups (the "blue table"). The intent was good (every pupil accessing learning at their level) but the practice was often crude and stigmatising, with low-attaining pupils sitting at the same table doing the same lower-level work term after term.
The 2014–2024 shift in UK pedagogy has been towards "adaptive teaching" (the Early Career Framework and the Teachers' Standards both use this language now). Adaptive teaching means the teacher knowing each pupil's profile well enough to adjust support, pace, and challenge moment-by-moment within a shared task (through scaffolding, pre-teaching, well-designed questioning, and responsive feedback) rather than pre-sorting pupils into ability groups.
The Education Endowment Foundation guidance "Special Educational Needs in Mainstream Schools" (2021) sets out the principles: high expectations for all; quality first teaching; planned scaffolds; small-group interventions where needed; targeted small-step teaching for the most significant need. Pre-teaching, scaffolding, and explicit teaching of subject vocabulary do most of the heavy lifting.
For SEND parents, the differentiation question is rarely "is the teacher differentiating?". It is more often "is the differentiation working?". A child sitting at a bronze-level table every day, with simplified worksheets and no pre-teaching, is being differentiated but not effectively supported. A child accessing the same lesson as peers, with pre-teach the day before and a scaffolded version of the task, is being adaptively taught and is more likely to progress.
In an EHCP, Section F should specify the adaptive teaching strategies (pre-teaching, scaffolding, named programmes for small-group intervention) rather than rely on the school's generic "differentiation". The Equality Act reasonable adjustments duty is independent of the EHCP and applies regardless of plan content.
Related terms
The terms parents most often see alongside Differentiation.
Scaffolding
Temporary, targeted support (modelling, prompts, sentence stems, visuals) that is gradually faded as the child becomes independent. Distinct from over-reliance on adult help.
Pre-Teaching
A strategy of introducing a child to new vocabulary, concepts, or content before the main lesson, so they can take part on a more equal footing.
Inclusion
The principle that all children, including those with SEND, are educated alongside their peers with adjustments made to remove barriers. More than integration, it requires changing the environment, not just the child.
Reasonable Adjustments
Changes a school or service must make under the Equality Act 2010 to prevent a disabled child being put at a substantial disadvantage. Examples: rest breaks, ear defenders, modified PE.
Where parents ask about this
Parents usually find this page when a school's "differentiation" is producing visible separation rather than learning, or before drafting Section F. Searches include "differentiation versus adaptive teaching", "EEF SEND mainstream", and "is differentiation enough SEND". A Beaakon SENCO can audit the differentiation being provided, recommend adaptive teaching strategies, and write Section F-grade wording.
References
The primary legislation, statutory guidance, research, and clinical tools this page draws on.