Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities in England: Inclusive Approaches to Curriculum Design and Pedagogy

This chapter explores the current policy context in England in relation to supporting children and young people (CYP) with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Following a comprehensive outline of the Code of Practice (DfE & DoH, 2014), the chapter explores the challenges that schools and families are experiencing. Financial constraints have resulted in inadequate investment in external professional services, leaving schools and families with a lack of support. Further, the high demand for specialist SEND provision in England has led to inappropriate placements in Alternative Provision (AP) for CYP with SEND. There has been an increase in the number of learners presenting with mental ill-health, despite an emphasis on school-based support in recent years and increasing numbers of children are not attending schools due to social and emotional factors. Ofsted reports (2023, 2024, 2025) highlight concern about behaviour and attendance in schools and the lack of access to child and adolescent mental health services. Given the competing demands on schools, it is not an adequate solution to expect schools and teachers to do more with less. This chapter explores what effective inclusive practice means for all pupils, addressing key aspects such as curriculum design, teaching, and assessment. Drawing on insights from applied cognitive science, it examines concepts including working memory, dual coding, spaced/distributed learning, and cognitive load. The discussion highlights how inclusive approaches to curriculum and pedagogy benefit all learners. Additionally, the chapter critiques the concept of ‘differentiation’ and introduces the idea of ‘adaptive teaching’.