How To Become a SEND Teacher
22 May, 2025
11 Strategies To Support SEND Children in the Classroom
22 May, 20251-2 minutes
In this blog, you will learn:
- 11 strategies to support SEND children in the classroom.
- Where the latest SEND Teacher jobs are and how to apply for them.
- Discover more about our SEND Teacher recruitment services.
Working as a SEND Teacher can be a challenging but incredibly rewarding career as they are helping young people with special educational needs or disabilities to thrive in and out of an educational setting.
Without the help and support of a great SEND Teacher, children with specialist needs could experience academic and social barriers and never reach their full potential.
As SEND Teachers work with children with various physical and emotional needs, they will need a varied skill set to support the children including patience and understanding, effective communication skills and the ability to manage challenging behaviour.
11 strategies to support SEND children in the classroom
In our latest insights piece, we take a look at 11 strategies on how SEND Teachers can effectively support children within the classroom, including:
- Create a practical curriculum.
- Praise the effort instead of the result.
- Be consistent.
- Communicate effectively.
- Be clear.
- Create a constructive learning environment.
- Provide a safe space for ‘time out’.
- Encourage children to build healthy friendships.
- Keep the children focussed.
- Help children to understand their emotions.
- Listen to the needs of the child.
Create a practical curriculum
A child with SEND needs might need an adapted or altogether different curriculum from other children. Specialist software or apps could be used where necessary to scaffold the learner and ensure the best possible educational outcome for them.
It’s important to adapt the teaching to the individual learning style of the pupil. One size does not fit all in the classroom and an effective SEND Teacher should tailor their teaching style to the needs of all pupils.
When asking a SEND pupil to do something, ask them to repeat back your instructions so you can be confident that they understand you and that you are effectively communicating with them.
Praise the effort instead of the result
Children with SEND needs will all learn at different rates; instead of focusing on whether the child has completed the task or the amount of time it took them to complete it, positively reinforce the effort which was put into the task.
Positive reinforcement is an effective way to boost a pupil’s confidence and encourage a growth mindset that teaches them to keep trying, even if they encounter challenges along the way.
Praising the effort a child with SEND makes also reinforces that they are a valued member of the class and demonstrates that a Teacher is there to support and celebrate their learning.
Be consistent
Even though a SEND Teacher will spend the majority of time with their pupils, the child may come into contact with other members of staff including Teaching Assistants, School Cooks or a School Receptionist.
All members of staff must be aware of how to manage and respond to the needs of the child.
If you set rules with a child, all members of staff should be aware of them to provide consistency for the child.
Consistency is important for children with SEND as it helps to provide them with stability, security and support. Predictable routines are also important for improving focus and reducing anxiety.
Communicate effectively
It goes without saying that a good SEND Teacher should be able to communicate effectively with their pupils. The children should have a clear understanding of what the Teacher is saying and what they are being asked to do.
If the Teacher has a lot of information to convey, they might need to break the information into smaller bitesize chunks. Communication could include anything from body language to facial expressions to signing and the spoken word.
Be clear
When speaking to a child with SEND, try to address them by their name. By referring to them as ‘children,’ ‘pupils,’ ‘students’ or ‘everyone,’ they might not be aware that you are referring to them.
Clear instructions and expectations that are clearly communicated are important in order to reduce any anxiety that a pupil with SEND might be experiencing. Clarity can help children understand what they are being asked to do more easily and as a result of this, they may feel more confident in their actions.
Create a constructive learning environment
Children with SEND needs could have a wide range of behavioural or learning difficulties including ADHD, autism or dyslexia. For children who might be easily distracted, you should aim to provide a learning environment which is constructive to their needs.
This could mean that you need to remove distractions for the easily distracted or enhance the environment for those who require extra stimulation. Sensory activities, fidget toys and interactive learning tools support sensory regulation and are effective measures for a SEND Teacher to incorporate into their lessons.
Provide a safe space for ‘time out’
Children with SEND needs might need to take some ‘time out’ within the school day if they are feeling stressed or overwhelmed. You should provide a quiet and easily accessible area for the children to go to during this time.
If a child is feeling stressed or anxious, this is an area to help them, not punish them. It’s important to reinforce that a child is not in trouble or for this space to be associated with discipline. A child with SEND should feel safe and comfortable at all times.
Encourage children to build healthy friendships
It’s important that SEND children can build relationships, interact and communicate effectively with fellow pupils to learn essential skills. Relationships should be healthy and facilitate independence. If the friend is absent from the class, the SEND pupil should not feel negatively affected by their absence.
The child should also be able to look towards other pupils as role models. Good role models will provide a stable and supportive influence for them.
Keep the children focussed
It’s important that a SEND pupil always has something to do and that they are aware of what is expected of them. If the child becomes stuck or is waiting for the Teacher's attention, they should have something else to do during this time to keep them focussed.
Focus in the classroom also aids a child's ability to retain information, follow instructions and effectively engage alongside their peers.
Help children to understand their emotions
A good SEND Teacher will help children to understand that sometimes you will have good days and sometimes you will have bad days. During those bad days, a great SEND Teacher should be able to support them and help them to turn it around.
Emotional regulation helps children with SEND to understand and communicate their feelings, reduce anxiety and build successful relationships in the classroom.
Listen to the needs of the child
One of the most important things which a SEND Teacher can do is to listen to the needs of the child. In fact, it is a statutory requirement that the views and wishes of the child are taken into account when decisions are made about their SEN provision.
Rather than assuming how a child feels, ask the pupil to try and articulate their feelings. Ask them what they like, what they don’t like and what they struggle with. By truly understanding the pupil, the Teacher will be able to build a healthy and effective teacher-pupil relationship.
SEND Teacher jobs
If you’re searching for your next SEND Teacher job, why not take a look at the latest teaching vacancies, or simply upload your CV to be notified when a relevant position becomes available.
Recruit SEND Teachers
As a specialist SEND recruitment agency, we support mainstream and SEND schools with their temporary, permanent and temp-perm staffing needs.
We currently work with hundreds of schools and have exclusive access to some of the best SEND Teachers and SEND Teaching Assistants in the North West.
If you’re struggling to fill a teaching vacancy, why not get in touch with one of our team to see how we can help?
Primary schools - Jimmy Callagher
Secondary schools - Liam Jones
SEND schools - Jamie Heath
Who is Spencer Clarke Group?
Established in 2017, we’re an award winning and progressive recruitment agency based in the heart of the North West. Our reputation is built on trust, expertise and an unwavering commitment to exceed expectations.
In 2024, we were named Recruitment Agency of the Year at the prestigious Recruiter Awards, an accolade we are extremely proud of.
We operate in two sectors:
In eleven specialisms:
Healthcare, Social Care & Nursing
Corporate Functions & Business Support
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