Working with children and young people who are vulnerable and have a special educational need requires an agile and inclusive practice. The most effective teachers and support staff know how to personalise learning. They can make real-time adjustments to their practice (or plans) when observations show that another approach will maximise and accelerate the pupil’s progress more effectively. Their practice is agile and inclusive because it is based on a secure understanding of learning theory and practice.

Learning strategy is based on a body of evidence that contributes to our shared understanding of what constitutes ‘good quality teaching and learning practice’. A lack of understanding of learning strategy will impede a pupil’s developmental achievements and make it harder to determine what learning strategies are most appropriate and when. This course aims to support practitioners, who are new to a teaching role or want to deepen their pedagogical knowledge and practice.

The course draws on the strategies outlined in the Sutton Trust Toolkit, such as giving feedback, making use of teaching assistants, and effective interventions to support students with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

The course content relates to learners in compulsory education (4-18 years), however, the strategies can be contextualised and across all educational stages. You will learn how to assess the needs of a learner and go on to develop a support plan consisting of SMART goals and interventions, which you will implement and later review to determine how well it has met the learner’s specific developmental needs.

This course responds to the information needs of the whole community centred around the child/young person with SEND. Parents and carers benefit from raised awareness of how to support their child’s learning needs. Advisory teachers, therapists and educational psychologists gain access to evidence-based CPD resources that can be used to strengthen capacity in their local authority and schools. Schools can use this course to train individuals or groups of teachers and teaching support staff as part of a school’s improvement plan or a whole-school initiative. NQTs/RQTs also build a secure knowledge of learning theory at the start of their career.

Parents are also encouraged to take our free Learning Theory course.

Our courses are structured into four sections. Click on the section headings to reveal page titles and some example content.