School of Education

The General Teaching Council for Scotland (2021) highlights differentiation as central to effective planning to meet learners’ needs (Standard 3.1.1). 
But here’s the big question many teachers quietly ask themselves: 
“How can I teach a diverse range of learners in my class?” 
If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone. For over four decades, research has shown that differentiation remains one of the biggest challenges teachers face – whether newly qualified or highly experienced. 
At its heart, differentiation is about belief. The belief that all children can succeed. Like inclusion, it is a philosophy as much as practice, and it asks us to think deeply about how we plan, adapt, and respond in ways that bring every learner into the centre of the classroom experience. 
This short online course will: 
✅ Explore the advantages and limitations of a range of differentiation models 
✅ Support reflection and professional dialogue on what truly inclusive differentiation looks like in practice 
✅ Offer practical tools to help you plan and adapt without overwhelming your workload 
✅ Encourage critical thinking around whether our choices include or unintentionally exclude learners 
Join me for an evening of fresh ideas, reflection, and practical strategies to help you meet the diverse needs of your learners – while keeping teaching sustainable and inclusive. 
This course is suitable for the following participants: primary teachers  

This course explores ‘slow pedagogy’ based on the research of Professor Alison Clark (2023) Various examples will be shared to examine the ‘unhurried child’ within the early years.

Where do we start?

How do we establish time for children to fully explore their own ideas?

What could the rhythm of the day look like?

The role of the adult will also be a focus through examining key occupations to support educators within the setting. What interactions are effective, and which interactions hinder children’s thinking. A model of implementation will be shared with participants on how this may be adapted to support our own teaching and learning.  This presentation is solely based on work within the field of early years.

This session is for all educators who wish to deepen and extend their thinking around working with and for an increasingly diverse learning community. We will move beyond deficit framing of children’s capacities by exploring concepts from key scholars in the field of inclusive education. We offer an opportunity to unpack what ‘inclusion’ and ‘additional support needs’ should mean for practice. We share how to develop strengths-based perspectives in ways that dismantle systemic barriers and identify positive actions to bring about more socially just, equitable and inclusive learning for all. 
 Aims: 
•    Consolidate an understanding of inclusive education and pedagogy (what it is and what it is not)
•    Recognise learner diversity as an asset and understand strengths-based working in classroom practice
•    Be able to draw on disability theory to reframe our relational working and recognise the rights of the child under both the UNCRC and UNCRPD. 
•    Use creativity and arts-based methods to develop practical strategies for building a sense of belonging, inclusion, and community cohesion.