The five elements of narrow gap classrooms

These teaching and learning techniques have been selected as examples of techniques that are supportive of the five learning behaviours evident in narrow gap classrooms, i.e. where the attainment gap between the more and less confident learners is minimised.

The five elements are:-
  • Full participation;
  • Engagement through challenge;
  • Inculcation of thinking skills and engagement in meta-cognitive thinking;
  • Meaningful dialogue; and
  • Collaborative learning.
If you are interested in highly interactive and engaging training for teachers on how to enhance these five elements and narrow attainment gaps, please visit the INSET page.

If you are interested in research evidence on what narrows attainment gaps for vulnerable learners then you will find the Education Endowment Foundation Toolkit invaluable.

The techniques on this site have been used successfully in a range of contexts to support these learning behaviours. If you want to encourage one of these key learning behaviours in your classroom, use the links in the sidebar (e.g. "dialogue" or "collaboration") to filter the techniques before selecting one to try.

Good luck!