This blog explores an emerging insight from the Inclusion in Practice call for evidence: that inclusion starts with expert teaching – embedded consistently and paired with early, targeted support to help more learners stay in class and make progress.
At Marine Academy Primary in Plymouth, inclusion doesn’t sit in a separate room. It sits in the routines of every lesson.
Rather than relying on interventions or additional adults, the team at Marine, part of the Ted Wragg Multi-Academy Trust, has built a model of high-quality teaching that works for all children, including those with SEND. The approach is simple in concept, but rigorous in practice: every teacher, in every classroom, uses the same core strategies, supported by a shared language and clear expectations.
“Children tell us that they like the fairness and consistency in our classrooms; they know what to expect.” – Siobhan Meredith. Executive Director of Education at Ted Wragg Trust.
That shared framework, known as the Core 10, includes techniques like cold calling, live modelling, and a structured oracy routine called SHAPE Talk. These routines create consistency, reduce cognitive load, and help pupils feel safe, ready and able to learn.
But consistency isn’t just for children. Every teacher at Marine gets regular one-to-one coaching, weekly feedback and time to rehearse new techniques before using them in class. Professional development is built into the fabric of the school day and closely tied to the school’s inclusive aims.
Marine’s approach shows what embedding expert teaching can look like in action – and the case study includes classroom videos of the Core 10 being used.
We invited Steplab, who support the coaching infrastructure at Marine, to share this case study showing what the model looks like in practice. You can view the full case study and watch classroom videos here → https://steplab.co/resources/inclusion-in-practice-marine-academy-primary/687f4a7074b5de0001caafc7
