Teaching children with special educational needs and disabilities is difficult. That is what we have let ourselves believe.

And you can see how that perception has become prominent in mainstream classrooms. SEND is an area that can lack sufficient attention in initial teacher education and post-qualification professional development, leading some teachers to feel that they do not have the skills necessary to address complexity in the classroom.

We need to correct this misjudgement; we need to demystify an area of education that is often presented as being more complex and challenging than it really is. Because children with SEND represent approximately 15 per cent of the pupil population, as such, it is almost certain that as a teacher you will encounter someone with additional needs at some point in your career. We can’t just say it is “too hard” and use that as an excuse.

So how can we help ensure that the progress of children with learning difficulties is not hampered by our own teaching difficulties? How do we prepare to meet the needs of those children with additional requirements effectively?

1. Develop your knowledge of the child

It is essential to make sure that you know the children in your classroom and, ideally, that you know what they are likely to require prior to their arrival.

Actively seeking out information about those children can allow you the time necessary to prepare. This should include information about prior learning, developmental patterns, communication methods, social and emotional needs and any medical requirements.

Making the time to research what the child requires will also support this process, enabling decisions to be reached about any resources that may be necessary or how the environment can be utilised to the benefit of all.

This will lessen the need for a trial-and-error approach that can erode confidence and destabilise relationships.

It is also essential to plan for the use of a broad range of data. An over-reliance on numeric summative sources is unlikely to be sufficient if you want to be able to ensure that you are meeting the child’s requirements. Being able to draw on a range of formal and informal information can enable a much more holistic view of the child.

But most important of all: speak to the child and their family. Too often in education, we underestimate the impact that the expertise that sits within the family can have in the classroom. Not only can this help to ensure that you have an understanding of the child that extends beyond professional perceptions but it provides an opportunity to draw upon the lived experience of the child.

This can help to avoid repetition of strategies and approaches that have previously failed, ensuring that you and the child have best chance of a positive start to the school year.

2. Build professional relationships

Investing time in a well-developed transition process with either the previous teacher or the previous school has the potential to head off any concerns that may be held about what the child requires. More importantly, it is likely to secure a smoother start to the year and reduce the impact of any changes on the child’s education, enabling progress to be sustained.

Developing broad partnerships with those who have additional expertise and seeking out the experiences of colleagues can provide opportunities for the introduction of a range of new approaches. These can then be combined with the knowledge of the child in order to make better informed decisions about where to invest time in making adjustments to the environment or your practice.

Make sure you continue to actively involve the child and their family in discussions that may be happening about the effectiveness of the provision on offer or any changes that may need to be made.

Developing professional relationships needs to be inclusive of all interested parties and adjustments to be able to offer a truly collaborative process.

3. Consider the little things

Planning and resourcing are vital in terms of putting yourself in the best position to teach successfully and for the child to learn effectively. However, this can be undone by naive implementation or by failing to consider the little things in enough detail.

The nature of change within the classroom can have a disproportionate impact on some children and therefore it can be vital to prepare carefully for different processes being used, different people being present, adjustments to expectations and changes to the agreed timetable.

For example, if you are having a curriculum day, where the timetable is suspended and there are a number of visitors offering different educational experiences and activities, then taking the time to explain this in advance is likely to be beneficial. Producing a brief leaflet or timetable that can be referred to when the child needs to and taken home to be discussed with their family may help to alleviate concerns about a change in routine.

Ensuring that children have access to the information necessary in a manner that suits them best can make the processes of adjustments much more effective. This can minimise disruption to learning and limit the impact on the level of progress and attainment secured.

4. Reflect openly and honestly

Sometimes in education, there can be a temptation to hide those things that go less well and put your on you best face. However, it is essential that we reflect honestly on how effective we are and acknowledge that there is always more to know and improvements to be made.

This process should be inclusive of the perceptions of the child and their experiences of their own education. There may be quite minor changes that could have a transformative effect on the quality of the experience and the impact of the provision.

I have benefited profoundly from filming myself delivering lessons and interacting with the pupils. On one occasion, what I thought was a successful relationship with the class was revealed as simplistic, littered with stock phrases and platitudes. By better understanding my own limitations and asking the pupils how I could communicate more effectively, I was able to make adjustments that ensured my responses were tailored to the pupils and reflected the high expectations we were working to achieve.

It is also important to act promptly where, despite having reflected critically on your own practice, a learner has not made anticipated progress. Discussing this with leaders within the school, including those with responsibility for SEND, will help ensure that there is a broader awareness of where children are struggling. This can also open a route to appropriate professional support where necessary without having to quietly struggle on.

To some extent, the points above may appear simplistic or, in places, even idealistic. After all, we are all at different points in our professional journeys and work in variable contexts. However, by reflecting carefully on how best to ensure that children with additional requirements have them met effectively, you may find that the solutions are less complex than you thought.

Be proactive and open about what you need to know to provide the best education possible to every child in your classroom. Give yourself the best chance of success and, in turn, the children will reap the benefits.

Simon Knight is director at Whole School SEND and a former special school deputy headteacher