Cognition and Learning Key Stage 1

SKILL	WHAT TO DO FIRST Identifying and supporting need	ASKING FOR HELP Starting Assess, Plan, Do, Review	WHEN MORE HELP IS NEEDED Targeted support
General	Individual pupil: Adaptive teaching- e.g. task sheets; providing PowerPoint printouts; timers; breaking down skills; understanding of ‘small steps’ approaches; targeted questions at different levels. Scaffolding of work- e.g. task plans; word banks; sentence starters; writing frames. Promoting independence – e.g. scaffolding; timers; visuals; sharing expectations; work pitched at pupils’ level; effective deployment of support staff; offering mediation at a lower level first before increasing, where necessary (See Asking for Help column). Classroom: Create a supportive learning environment. Consider strategies such as ‘help box’ with appropriate resources in each classroom; folders in classrooms (on tables) containing resources such as word mats; using off-white paper (not black text on white paper); colour coding/ dyslexia friendly environment; working walls and purposeful displays (e.g. key vocabulary); prompts/ reminders/ ‘to do’ lists; seating selection; visual cues and timetables; timed rewards and consequences; changing visuals (e.g. Smart boards – changing images, clips, texts and colours); brain breaks. Multi-sensory teaching methods. Repetition of concepts and skills- e.g. pre-teaching vocabulary; address misconceptions the same day; retrieval practice (last session/ last week/ last topic/ last term); bridging new content and skills with prior learning (e.g. ‘where have we seen this before?’) Whole school: Staff approaches- e.g. peer observation, joint planning and support (e.g. triad delivery model); chunking verbal instructions. Provide staff and peer feedback that is specific, clear and accurate; which focuses on improvement from previous work; and which supports effort and perseverance. Arrange relevant training for staff from external support services, where needed. Staff awareness of the learning hierarchy to support their understanding of the stages involved in developing a skill and identifying which stage pupils have reached/ where additional support to progress may be needed: Acquisition (being introduced to a task, such as recognising a phonic sound, and recognising initial components. Focus is on accuracy and getting it right, rather than speed or use of concepts to problem solve). Fluency (practice phase and becoming familiar with the task; starting to focus on speed as well as accuracy (e.g. identifying sounds more quickly and automatically). Individuals will make different rates of progress). Mastery (task is fully learnt and feels like ‘second nature’; pupil has developed a level of proficiency which is not affected by new learning or periods of time without practicing the skill, such as being able to recognise a phonic sound over time). Generalisation (mastered task is now used in other situations; with instruction, the pupil applies the skill with novel materials or under different conditions, such as applying phonics sounds to reading a book with some help. Learning is less prescribed, and reinforcement can take place through everyday experiences, enabling simple problem solving). Adaptation (the mastered skill is fully generalised, and the information can be used in novel ways and for more complex problem solving, such as applying phonic knowledge to new words. Specific instruction in complex or new situations isn’t needed, and the pupil can ask themselves what skills or knowledge they might need to solve the problem). Use effective assessment and monitoring [AF1] tools to identify all pupils’ learning levels and track progress, e.g.: B Squared assessment – broken down into lesson steps to reduce gaps. Learning Ladder s assessment framework. Comparison and analysis of special pupil attainment (CASPA). Meaningful moderation of assessment. Establish good links with home to support learning, e.g.: Ensure that the curriculum is accessible for parents so they can help their children. Online homework support systems so pupils don’t have to write things down Where possible, support parents to access similar resources to the ones accessed in school. For example, a school license for Clicker8 also allows parents to access the resource at home for free. [AF1]Remove link.	Further assessment of need through observation, collating assessment data, and gathering the views of staff, parents/ carers and pupils, following a graduated approach and assess-plan-do-review– learn cycles. Awareness of pupils who may benefit from additional support at the acquisition and fluency stages of the learning hierarchy (e.g. strategies such as pre-teaching of key concepts/ vocabulary and increased repetition and over-learning with opportunities to revisit concepts more frequently). Facilitate learning activities in smaller and targeted groups, in limited distraction environments where possible. Individual and/ or small group interventions with appropriate pre- and post- measures to evaluate progress (examples of specific Literacy and Numeracy interventions are suggested below); good starting points for finding out about evidence- based interventions, programmes and approaches are: The Education Endowment Foundation’s Teaching and Learning Toolkit and Language and Literacy and Mathematics projects. Evidence 4 Impact – an independent service that supports educators in using evidence-based practice in order to improve outcomes for children. The Early Intervention Foundation guidebook – provides information about early intervention programmes that have been evaluated and shown to improve outcomes for children and young people (including the ‘Enhancing school achievement and employment’ outcome). Different children will require different types, levels and intensity of adult mediation (approaches and strategies used to support during tasks and activities) to maximise their learning of specific skills and to promote increased levels of independence. The focus of mediation may include: Regulation of behaviour (finding out what helps the pupil to manage behaviours associated with learning such as attention, impulsivity and distraction); Rule teaching (helping and encouraging the pupil to find and apply rules); Insight (helping the pupil to use ‘what works’ and apply these tactics to new and novel situations – generalising); or Sequencing (helping the pupil to respond in an organised and sequenced way). Modes of mediation may include: Focusing (directing and maintaining attention to a task using prompts such as gesture or verbal and visual cues); Motor (drawing, moving objects into pupil’s line of sight, hand over hand guidance); Verbal (using instructions to guide and direct through questions, step-by-step instructions and feedback on what has gone well). Mediation should begin at the lowest level needed for the pupil; some will need to begin at a higher level than others. Mediation progresses from higher to lower levels as follows: Hand over hand guidance. Modelling with initial guidance which is gradually faded. Modelling the task using specific examples of rules, concepts and strategies. Pointing out general characteristics (but not task-specific). Asking for further applications of previously used strategies. Teaching how to select appropriate strategies using previous input from mediation. Pupil applies previous strategies and rules with increasing flexibility. Previous mediation internalised and fully self-regulating.	Use appropriate assessments to identify difficulties early, establish a greater understanding of the pupil’s needs and inform appropriate referral to other services. Over rehearsal of information to enable pupils to progress through the hierarchy of learning (see General section) e.g. Precision Teaching (PT) intervention, Toe By Toe. PT intervention is suitable for those who struggle with working memory difficulties and retaining information and is used as an intensive 1:1 intervention. Higher levels of mediation during tasks (see Asking for Help column). Obtain and record pupil’s views through pupil voice activities. Obtain and record parental information and views through questionnaires, parents’ evenings, assemblies and social media forums. Use of plan-do-review-learn processes to monitor progress and plan individual support. Create individual education plans (IEPs) or similar and adapt termly, with progress against targets routinely reviewed by the SENDCo, relevant staff and child/ parents/ carers. Ensure that any Teaching Assistants (TAs) involved with the pupil understand the purpose of the IEP or group plan and support the pupil to achieve their targets. School staff, SENDCo, parents/ carers and pupil to continue to liaise on a regular basis – a minimum of three meetings with parents within a 12-month period. Refer to external agencies for further support around learning and factors which may impact children’s progress (e.g. Educational Psychology Service (EPS), Speech and Language Therapy (SALT) Service, Target Setting: Actionable. Language accessible. Joined up across services. Match targets to child passport. Individualised and meaningful transition process. Joint objectives planning and target setting involving other agencies as needed; reports should feed into provision map. Where a child has an EHCP: Refer to described outcomes and provision and implement. Continue to use the Plan-Do-Review-Learn process against the specified outcomes and provision, using previous SEN Support Plan as ‘EHC Implementation Plan’. Regularly update with strategies as they are tried. Complete Annual Review of EHC Plan. Continue to request and act upon advice from external agencies, as necessary. Carry out and review assessments, as advised by external agencies.
Thinking skills	Individual pupil: Provide sensitive levels of challenge and mediation based on the pupil’s needs, encouraging independence where possible. Classroom: Employ strategies to start to encourage pupils’ metacognition and self-regulation (i.e. the ability to monitor, direct and review their own learning, through explicitly thinking about their own learning, setting goals and evaluating progress) and support [AF1] (these are a set of skills and mental processes that develop throughout childhood and adolescence, which support pupils to self-regulate, initiate, attend to and persevere with activities successfully). Explicit teaching of metacognitive strategies, following the seven-step model: Activating prior knowledge. Explicit strategy instruction. Modelling of learned strategy. Memorisation of strategy. Guided practice. Independent practice. Structured reflection. Organise and structure classroom talk and dialogue, including ‘Socratic talk’ and the use of talk partners. Teacher modelling of own thinking and understanding at a whole-class level (e.g. modelling self-talk when preparing for a task, making mistakes and monitoring own levels of reading comprehension). Whole-class input using visual and auditory cues to support attention and listening. Reduce load on working memory –break instructions down into chunks, offer repetition and visual cues. Use whole-class initiatives which also improve memory and recall skills (e.g. Talk for Writing). Use of visual organisation strategies at a whole- class level (e.g. structured task planners or use of colour coding systems [red- task done; amber- current; green-to do], and visual timers). Provide examples of the expected outcome of a task (‘What a good one looks like’ [WAGOLL]). Use of multi-sensory learning and access to concrete apparatus across the curriculum (e.g. cubes, counters, number lines, spelling or word mats). Use of spaced learning (content/topics which are taught and revisited at spaced intervals) at a whole- class level. Direct instruction, cueing and positive reinforcement of key skills (e.g. good listening, putting hand up, waiting etc.). [AF1]Possibly better link: https://lbhflearningpartnership.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Document-7.A-Supporting-Executive-Functioning-in-the-Classroom.pdf	Targeted observation of pupils’ executive function skills in the classroom, including self-regulation/ inhibition control, working memory, sustained attention, task initiation, planning/prioritising, organisation, time management, persistence and flexibility. Use of observational data and targeted assessment to clarify strengths and needs (e.g. Working Memory Rating Scale (WMRS) / Automated Working Memory Assessment). Further promote and embed metacognitive talk when working in smaller groups (i.e. explore thinking around a task, how to plan, prepare and use strategies to approach a task with pupils and ways to monitor levels of understanding). Use of technology and ICT-based resources to support planning, organisation and retention (e.g. voice activated software, talking tins/post cards, Clicker). Target-setting with groups and/or individual pupils around self-regulation and organisation strategies (personalising approaches outlined in Getting Advice column). Cue individual pupils to remind them of the skill or behaviour they are practising (e.g. listening, waiting, or asking questions when they do not understand). Small group-based support to develop and practise attention and listening skills (e.g. through games and activities targeted around focused, sustained, and joint attention skills). Support pupils individually and/or in small groups to initiate and persevere with activities through personalised organisation strategies (e.g. task board, lists or charts, markers for start and finish points, or timers) and games (e.g. ‘ready, steady, go!’). Play games in small groups to practise memory and recall skills (e.g. identifying missing items, recalling lists, copying figure drawings or repeating number sequences both forwards and backwards). Access to targeted intervention time using age-appropriate games/apps (Cogmed). Daily opportunities to model, teach and practise strategies in small groups to manage verbal information and task sequences (e.g. naming the first 2-3 steps and making a list with different colours, ticking off pictures of equipment needed to initiate a task etc.).	For pupils with complex needs, assess key skills and levels of engagement through structured observation (e.g. using The Engagement Profile and Scale) in order to create personalised learning pathways. Access to targeted intervention support to develop key skills on an individual or small group basis (e.g. working on attention and listening skills in small groups or working memory interventions such as Cogmed). Complement intervention with further strategy-based practice within the classroom (e.g. rehearsing or chunking information). Access to individualised intervention, linked to IEP targets, based on the principles of distributed practice and overlearning (e.g. daily Precision Teaching), with support to apply learning in context. Use of ICT software and technology to support information recall and independence as a learner, embedded within everyday provision (e.g. use of voice recorders/apps).
Literacy	Classroom: Whole class/ group systematic phonics programmes (e.g. Read Write Inc.), embedded within a rich literacy environment. Whole school: Use of evidence-based approaches to teaching Literacy (e.g. Education Endowment Foundation Improving Literacy in Key Stage 1 guidance report). Development of oral language skills as foundations for reading and writing (e.g. reading books aloud and discussing them; use of books without text to encourage comprehension skills; use of resources and approaches such as Clicker, recording devices, word of the week, teaching specific vocabulary; programmes such as Talk for Writing). Guided reading groups or Reciprocal Teaching groups to enhance reading comprehension skills. Staff participation in Literacy initiatives and forums (e.g. NASEN SENDCo forum).	Use of appropriate assessments to identify strengths and areas of need, in order to target intervention at an early stage. This may include: Standardised assessments (e.g. Salford Sentence Reading Test, York Assessment of Reading for Comprehension formative, criterion-referenced and curriculum-based assessments. bench marking using in-depth assessments (e.g. York Assessment of Reading for Comprehension YARC). Whole school dyslexia screen and SALT assessments. Small group targeted ‘basic skills’ work to supplement and repeat some whole class learning (e.g. phonics, fine motor groups). Resources to support literacy skills for individuals/ small groups (e.g. reading/ spelling squares; recording software – iPads, sound buttons). Tools such as Elklan’s Early Language Builders and Language Builders books to support language for literacy may be helpful for individuals/ small groups. Peer support (e.g. Year 2 – teaching younger pupils). Pair up lower attaining pupils to read with younger peers in the school. Access to technology and interventions such as: Nessy. Clicker. Spelling Shed. IDL Literacy. Accelerated Reader. Reading Recovery. Reading Wise. Project X CODE. Immersive Reader. Online learning software that the pupil can access without adult support, e.g. IDL, Dyslexia Gold.	Interventions to develop literacy skills, based on principles of repetition and over-learning, with support to generalise skills (e.g. Precision Teaching, Toe by Toe). Specific assessments- e.g. [AF1] Sounds Write, Bearing Away/ Bear Necessities, Raven’s assessment. More specialised interventions, e.g. Reading Recovery – a short-term (12-20 weeks) early intervention programme, aimed at the lowest-achieving 20% of KS1 readers, and delivered by a trained Reading Recovery teacher [AF1]No link.
Numeracy	Classroom: Evidence-based whole class approaches to teaching foundational skills to mastery, e.g. Mathematical Reasoning programme. Whole school: Use of evidence-based approaches to teaching Mathematics (e.g. Education Endowment Foundation Improving Mathematics in the Early Years and Key Stage 1 guidance report). Concrete numeracy apparatus Numicon. Base 10. Singapore counters. Work through the concrete to pictorial to abstract (CPA) approach Access to manipulative resources e.g. Cuisenaire rods (see also Ronit Bird exploring numbers through Cuisenaire Rods).	Use of appropriate assessments to identify strengths and areas of need, in order to target intervention at an early stage. This may include standardised assessments (e.g. Sandwell Early Numeracy Test) as well as formative, criterion- referenced and curriculum-based assessments. Programmes for assessment and intervention where Mathematical difficulties are present (e.g. Dynamo Maths). Peer support (e.g. Year 2 pupils teaching younger peers). Targeted ‘basic skills’ time work, and small group sessions to supplement and repeat some whole class learning and develop basic skills.	Individualised learning opportunities for children with specific numeracy difficulties e.g. 1stClass@Number. A specially trained teaching assistant delivers up to 30 half-hour sessions to a group of up to four children, for 10 -15 weeks. More specialised interventions, e.g. Numbers Count – a specially trained teacher gives individuals or small groups at least 3 x 30-minute lessons for a term. Sessions are planned for individuals based on initial assessments, with a focus on number and calculation.