INSET: Primary Adaptive Teaching for EYFS, KS1 and KS2.

“Incredibly useful adaptive teaching strategies, which were explained brilliantly”

Philippa Gleave, The Lady Eleanor Holles School

Adaptive teaching is essential for creating primary classrooms where every child can thrive. Rather than individualised lesson plans, adaptive teaching is about responsive decisions in the moment, informed by assessment, clear explanations, modelling and high‑quality tasks. In primary settings—where ranges of developmental stages, reading fluency, vocabulary knowledge and working memory vary widely—adaptive teaching is a core part of effective practice.

Our training helps primary teachers understand how to adapt teaching without increasing workload, ensuring all pupils access the full curriculum and make strong progress.

What is adaptive teaching?

Adaptive teaching is an approach a teacher will use to continually assess the strengths and needs of learners and adapt their teaching accordingly to ensure all learners can meet expectations. With adaptive teaching, the teacher plans for the whole class and responds by making changes to the curriculum or resources so that all learners can achieve the same goals.

Primary Adaptive Teaching & the Teachers Standards & Early Career Framework

Both the DfE Teachers Standards & the Early Career Framework Standard 5 breaks the term ​‘adaptive teaching’ into more concrete recommendations for teaching. For example:

Provide opportunity for all pupils to experience success by:

• Adapting lessons, whilst maintaining high expectations for all, so that all pupils have the opportunity to meet expectations.
• Balancing input of new content so that pupils master important concepts.
• Making effective use of teaching assistants.

You might also be interested in our training on the Rosenshine’s Principles of Teaching click here

What are the benefits of Primary Adaptive Teaching?

The 2015 PISA results showed that adaptive teaching is one of the approaches most positively correlated with pupil performance. If it is done well, adaptive teaching has numerous benefits, including:

• Allowing for personalised learning experiences for each pupil
• Helping to identify and address pupil gaps in real-time
• Enhancing learners’ engagement and motivation
• Supporting teachers in providing targeted and effective instruction
• Providing opportunities for pupils to work at their own pace
• Improving pupil outcomes and achievement.

You may also be interested in our INSET courses on Metacognition – click here

CPD Outline

Introduction to Primary Adaptive Teaching

An overview of what adaptive teaching is (and is not), why it matters in primary settings, and how it supports consistent, inclusive practice across EYFS, KS1 and KS2.

Understanding Learner Needs in Primary Classrooms

Exploration of the developmental, linguistic, cognitive and emotional factors that influence learning in the primary years, and how these inform day‑to‑day adaptive decisions.

Principles of Responsive Teaching

Guidance on recognising when and how to adjust teaching during lessons, with emphasis on responsive decision‑making, clarity of explanation, manageable assessment practices, and classroom awareness.

Primary Adaptive Teaching Across the Curriculum

How adaptive teaching principles apply across reading, writing, maths and wider curriculum subjects, with examples of age‑appropriate adaptations that maintain ambition for all learners.

Creating an Inclusive Primary Learning Environment

Discussion of routines, classroom culture, communication approaches and organisational choices that enable all pupils—including those with SEND, EAL and SEMH needs—to access the curriculum.

Primary Adaptive Teaching and Cognitive Science

An introduction to key ideas such as memory, modelling, practice and scaffolding, with a focus on how these theories support effective teaching in the primary phase.

Working with Support Staff

How teachers and teaching assistants can work together so that adaptations are consistent, purposeful and aligned with lesson goals.

Leadership, Monitoring and Whole‑School Consistency

Consideration of how leaders can support staff in developing adaptive practice, including professional development, expectations for classroom environments and approaches to monitoring.

Optional extra training modules:

Supporting Early Reading and Writing Through Adaptive Teaching

Early literacy is a major focus of our primary training. We explore:

• adapting phonics pace based on accurate assessment
• supporting pupils with weak oral vocabulary
• adapting modelling for writing stamina and transcription skills
• scaffolding reading comprehension strategies in KS1 and KS2

Primary Adaptive Teaching for Maths Mastery

Maths requires careful attention to:

• concrete–pictorial–abstract progression
• responsive questioning to identify misconceptions
• flexible grouping around fluency and number sense
• scaffolds for reasoning and problem‑solving
• strategies for supporting pupils with working‑memory limitations

Training Outcomes

By the end of the course, participants will:

• Have a clear and practical understanding of adaptive teaching
• Know how to embed adaptive practices appropriate to primary learners
• Be more confident in making responsive, effective classroom decisions
• Understand how to maintain high expectations while supporting diverse needs
• Strengthen consistency of practice across their school

Ready to strengthen adaptive teaching across your primary school?

Book this course for your staff and build confident, responsive classroom practice.

enquiries@jmcinset.com

Are you responsible for the TAs and LSA’s in your School ?

We have a number of highly practical specialist training courses for support staff- take a look for at our TA and LSA INSET courses ready to book for your school.