This session invites you to rethink what inclusion looks like in science classrooms.
With increasing expectations that every child will achieve and thrive, teachers are navigating a complex challenge: how to meet diverse needs without lowering expectations or adding unsustainable workload. In science, this is intensified by the demands of the subject—specialist vocabulary, abstract ideas, and practical enquiry. Rather than focusing on intervention after difficulty arises, it introduces a model of inclusion by design, where potential barriers are anticipated and addressed during planning. Drawing on principles from Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and SEND-informed practice, the session will show how small, intentional choices in teaching can widen access to scientific thinking.
We will explore how to: •design lessons that support engagement, understanding and participation for all learners •shift from ‘doing’ science to thinking scientifically •broaden what counts as evidence of learning
Along the way, we will consider some critical questions: •Who gets to feel like a scientist in our classrooms? •Which aspects of our teaching unintentionally create barriers? •And what might it mean to design differently?
This session is lecture-style but will include brief reflection points to connect ideas to your own practice. By the end of the session, participants will be able to: •Identify common cognitive, linguistic and participation barriers within science lessons •Explain the principles of an anticipatory, UDL-informed approach to inclusive pedagogy •Analyse their own teaching or curriculum materials in terms of access, engagement and expression •Apply at least one practical strategy (e.g. multi-modal representation, structured participation, flexible outcomes) to redesign a science activity •Critically reflect on how current practices may privilege particular learners and how this could be adapted
