Inclusive Leadership
for Adaptive Practice
Creating Schools that Respond Adaptively to the Needs of Every Learner.
Necessary for Some. Useful for All.
This project is funded by the Department for Education’s Regional Improvement for Standards and Excellence (RISE) programme, connecting schools to the experts already making a difference in classrooms. For more information on RISE, click here.
Programme Overview
Across our schools, there is a growing commitment to inclusion and high-quality adaptive teaching. Yet many leaders tell us the challenge is no longer understanding what adaptive practice looks like. The challenge is creating the conditions that enable it to happen consistently, coherently and sustainably across an entire school.
Too often, adaptive responses are viewed as the responsibility of individual teachers. In reality, a school’s ability to respond effectively to learner need is shaped by the interaction of leadership decisions, organisational culture, school systems, professional learning and classroom practice.
When these elements work together, adaptive practice becomes embedded across the school rather than dependent on individual expertise.
The Inclusive Leadership for Adaptive Practice Programme has been designed to help schools make this shift.
By bringing together school leaders, teachers and teaching assistants as a single improvement team, the programme supports schools to align inclusive values, organisational systems and professional practice around a shared goal: enabling every learner to belong, participate and thrive.
Why this programme?
Many schools have invested significant time and energy in developing adaptive teaching. Yet leaders often report challenges in achieving consistency across classrooms, departments and phases.
This programme addresses that implementation challenge.
Rather than asking:
“How do we train staff to adapt more effectively?”
the programme asks:
“How do we create a school that responds adaptively to learner need at every level of the organisation?”
The programme is built around a simple improvement model:
Leadership → Systems → Professional Practice → Learner Experience
When leaders align culture, systems and professional learning, adaptive responses become more consistent, sustainable and impactful for pupils.
A Whole-School Approach
The programme consists of three interconnected strands which together create a shared language, shared understanding and shared responsibility for inclusion.
Strand One: Leading Inclusive Adaptive Systems
Creating the conditions for adaptive responses at scale
Strand Two: Adaptive Classroom Practice
Developing evidence-informed responses to learner variability
Strand Three: Adaptive Support Practice
Strengthening the contribution of Teaching Assistants
Click on the tabs below for more information on each strand
Strand One: Leading Inclusive Adaptive Systems
Creating the conditions for adaptive responses at scale
Drawing upon the Leading Inclusive Cultures model developed through Carr Manor Community School and the Leeds Learning Alliance, this strand supports leaders to examine how culture, values, policies and systems shape the experiences of both pupils and staff.
Participants will:
- Explore the relationship between inclusive values and everyday practice
- Identify gaps between intended culture and lived experience
- Align behaviour systems, inclusion policies and routines with inclusive principles
- Use implementation processes to move leadership learning into organisational action
- Strengthen leadership capacity for system-wide improvement
- Collaborate with leaders from across the region to share effective practice
Leaders will be introduced to practical improvement tools that support strategic analysis, reflection and implementation within their own context.
Strand Two: Adaptive Classroom Practice
Developing evidence-informed responses to learner variability
This strand supports teachers to strengthen adaptive teaching through three core themes.
Understanding Pupils and Their Needs
Participants will explore cognitive similarities across a range of learning needs and differences, including:
- Dyslexia
- Autism
- ADHD
- Speech and Language Needs
Teachers will develop a deeper understanding of:
- Cognitive load
- Working memory
- Executive function
and the implications these have for learning, engagement and independence.
Assess, Plan, Do, Review
Using the graduated approach, participants will identify a focus group of pupils, establish SMART targets and evaluate the impact of selected strategies within their own classroom context.
Necessary for Some, Useful for All
Participants will explore practical approaches that improve access, participation and success for all learners, including:
- Question-Pause-Name
- Giving every pupil a voice
- Whole-class checking for understanding
- Explicit vocabulary instruction
- Effective modelling
- Dual coding
The emphasis throughout is on turning common sense into common practice.
Strand Three: Adaptive Support Practice
Strengthening the contribution of Teaching Assistants
Recognising the vital role Teaching Assistants play in creating inclusive learning environments, this strand mirrors the teacher programme to establish a shared language and consistent approach across the school.
Participants will explore:
Understanding Pupils and Their Needs
Including cognitive load, working memory and executive function.
Assess, Plan, Do, Review
Using the graduated approach to identify priorities, establish SMART targets and evaluate impact.
Necessary for Some, Useful for All
Practical strategies including:
- Effective teacher and TA collaboration
- Crafting clear explanations
- Pre-teaching vocabulary
- Dual coding
The focus is on improving participation, independence and access to learning for all pupils.
Who should attend?
The programme is open to mainstream primary and secondary schools across Yorkshire and the Humber.
Because sustainable improvement depends on collective ownership, schools are asked to participate as a team.
This requires identifying staff with capacity (time, energy and skill) and willingness to engage with programme. You will need to register for the programme by identifying the following:
- 2 School Leaders (Headteacher plus one additional leader such as a SENDCo, Assistant Headteacher, Lead Practitioner or Teaching and Learning Lead)
On day 2 of the programme (9th December) you will register staff to attend workshops in January.
- 2 Teachers (e.g. Strong classroom practitioner, ITT/ECT mentors, T&L leads, Middle Leaders)
- 2 Teaching Assistants or similar classroom based intervention roles
Smaller schools are welcome to attend with one leadership representative where capacity requires.
Trust leaders and colleagues working across multiple schools are also warmly encouraged to participate.
Expected Impact
Participating schools can expect to strengthen:
Systems
Greater alignment between values, policies, systems and day-to-day practice.
Culture
A stronger shared language and collective responsibility for inclusion.
Professional Practice
More consistent adaptive responses across classrooms and staff teams.
Learner Experience
Improved engagement, participation, independence and access to learning.
Sustainability
Implementation processes and professional networks that enable improvement to continue beyond the life of the programme.
Programme Facilitators
Tom Shaw
Director of Research and Development at Carr Manor Community School and strategic advisor with the Leeds Learning Alliance. Tom’s work focuses on inclusive cultures, systems leadership and sustainable school improvement.
Andrew Young
Author of Adaptive Teaching: Culture to Classroom and a nationally recognised voice in adaptive teaching. Andrew specialises in translating research into practical classroom approaches that are necessary for some and useful for all.
Building Adaptive Systems. Developing Adaptive Practice. Improving Outcomes for Every Learner.
This programme is not simply about training individuals. It is about helping schools develop the collective capacity to understand learner variability, respond intelligently to need and create inclusive environments where all children and young people can thrive.
Through aligned leadership, strengthened systems and consistent professional practice, schools will be better equipped to deliver adaptive responses that are both sustainable and transformational.
Cost
This project is funded by the Department for Education’s Regional Improvement for Standards and Excellence (RISE) programme, connecting schools to the experts already making a difference in classrooms. For more information on RISE, click here.
There is no cost to participating schools.
Funding covers:
- Programme delivery
- Resources
- Implementation tools
- Catering and refreshments throughout all sessions
Places are limited to 30 schools across Yorkshire and the Humber. Schools are therefore asked to commit to full participation across the programme.
If you have any questions about the programme, please email Tom Shaw at [email protected]
Date:
Leadership Strand
- Friday 6 November 2026
- Wednesday 9 December 2026
- Friday 15 January 2027
- Wednesday 17 March 2027
Teacher Strand
- Wednesday 27th January 2027
Teaching Assistant Strand
- Friday 29th January 2027
All sessions run from 9.00am – 4.00pm.
Twilight Sessions:
- Thursday 25th February 3:30-5pm, online (all participants)
- Thursday 18th March 3:30-5pm, online (Teachers and TAs only)
Price:
Fully funded through the RISE programme
Venue
Carr Manor Community School
Carr Manor Road
Leeds
LS17 5DJ
