‘Scaffolds are temporary supports which are gradually removed to encourage pupils to work with increasing independence. The importance of careful scaffolding is highlighted in EEF’s ‘SEND in Mainstream’ guidance report, as well as recommendation two of the EEF’s updated ‘Deployment of Teaching Assistants’ guidance report.
When used well, scaffolds help build independence steadily, over time, ultimately enabling pupils to complete tasks, solve problems, and apply strategies without the need for assistance, increasing their engagement in learning.
A key principle emphasised in the guidance is that of giving ‘the least amount of supportfirst’. This means encouraging pupils to self-scaffold wherever possible and – only where necessary – offering visual, verbal or written scaffolds to prompt, clue, model or correct when pupils demonstrate they are unable to proceed independently.’
Think of self-scaffolding as teaching students how to be their own “coach” when they get stuck. Instead of them immediately putting their hand up the second they hit a wall, the goal is to give them a mental toolkit to figure it out themselves.
It’s so tempting to jump in the moment you see a student hovering their pen, but try giving them some “thinking space”. When you walk over, wait a few beats before saying anything. Often, just your presence is enough for them to realise, “Oh, I should probably try that thing we talked about,” and they’ll start moving again on their own.
Developing self-scaffolding shifts the focus from teachers providing help to students building their own toolkit for independent problem-solving. This process is most effective when framed around the principle of providing “the least amount of support first”.
The “Least help first” hierarchy: Use a structured approach to intervention. Start at the top level (highest independence) and only move down if a student is genuinely stuck:
Teach metacognitive “Self-talk”
Pupils need to learn how to coach themselves through a task.
Build a “Resource-rich” environment
For a pupil to self-scaffold, they must have access to the tools they need to help themselves.
Plan for “Fading”
A scaffold is only a scaffold if it is designed to be removed.
Celebrate the “Struggle”
We often praise students for being “quick,” but that actually discourages self-scaffolding. Try praising the process instead. Say things like, “I loved how when you got stuck on that paragraph you used the word bank to find a way through it yourself.” It makes “being stuck” feel like a normal part of the learning process rather than a failure.
This blog was written by Bretta Townend-Jowitt, Education Consultant and Trainer.
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