7 Tips for Creating an Inclusive Classroom for Diverse Students

Inclusivity has become something of a buzzword in recent years, but for teachers, it should always be an essential component of every classroom. 

In the UK, 37% of pupils are from a minority ethnic background, while more than 1.6 million (4.8%) have special educational needs (SEN). With so much diversity in the classroom, there’s never been a greater need to create a learning environment where all children of all ages have equal access to educational opportunities and are respected equally, no matter their ability, ethnic background, gender, learning style, race, or religion. 

For primary and secondary teachers, this can require a multifaceted approach to ensure every child feels included and there is no unintentional bias or discrimination. Here’s how you can create an inclusive classroom where everyone feels valued, respected, and has a sense of belonging. 

7 Tips for Inclusive Classrooms

1) Create an Environment Conducive to Learning

A warm, welcoming atmosphere is the foundation of an inclusive classroom. Clearly communicating expectations around cooperation, kindness, and respect helps to establish a positive and respectful culture. A few quick ways to do this: greet students at the door or create classroom rules together.

In this empowering environment, teachers play a vital role in nurturing students' confidence by promoting a strong sense of belonging, visibility, and intrinsic worth. This not only enhances their school experience but also equips them with the confidence and skills they’ll carry through life.

Regularly acknowledging and celebrating student efforts further reinforces self-esteem, especially for those who may feel marginalised or less confident in traditional academic settings. Constructive feedback and positive reinforcement can strengthen resilience and self-image, encouraging all children to embrace new challenges and explore their full potential.

2) Build Meaningful Relationships With Your Students

Take time to learn about each child’s background, interests, and any challenges they face. Understanding their individual stories can help you tailor your approach and show that you genuinely care about them.

Where appropriate, reach out to parents, guardians, carers, or pastoral support teams to gain deeper insights into your pupils. You can further build trust through simple actions such as greeting children by name or asking them about their hobbies, especially if those students have felt excluded or overlooked in traditional settings. 

3) Tailor Teaching to Learning Styles

Some students, especially those with SEN, often process information in unique ways. Visual students might benefit from charts and diagrams, while others may respond better to auditory explanations or hands-on tasks. 

For neurodivergent children, consider breaking instructions into manageable chunks or using visual schedules to support routine. By recognising and respecting different learning styles, you can improve accessibility.

Offering activities in different formats (creative, physical, verbal, or visual) gives your students various ways to engage and demonstrate their understanding. This creates a personalised learning experience, encourages inclusion, and enhances learning outcomes by appealing to a broader range of talents, motivating students, and creating an atmosphere in which all students feel understood, valued, and that they can succeed.

4) Encourage Student Collaboration And Interaction

Encourage cooperative learning through pair and group work, as this allows students to develop their academic and social skills. Structure these interactions carefully, remembering that some children may need alternative communication tools or additional guidance to participate fully.

Rotate group members to prevent cliques from forming and to ensure that everyone has an opportunity to connect. You can even assign rotating roles so everyone has a job to do within the group. Students’ confidence and engagement usually improve significantly when they feel a sense of belonging among their peers. 

Beyond this, students can make a range of friends from different backgrounds and with different abilities. The benefits of this go far beyond the children in your class. Their parents and guardians benefit from the peace of mind that comes with knowing their children are in a safe, welcoming environment.

5) Diversify Learning Activities and Materials

Your teaching resources should reflect the diversity of your class and the wider world. Ensure that the case studies, examples, and literature you use in the classroom includes a wide range of voices from different abilities, backgrounds, cultures, and family structures.

Use visual cues such as posters featuring inclusive messages or displays representing different cultures, as this can make a real difference. When your students see themselves reflected in teaching materials, it creates a sense of belonging, builds self-esteem,  encourages active participation, and gives them a new perspective on the curriculum, the world, and their place in it.

6) Build a Collaborative Support Network

Inclusivity is a team effort, and you can build a strong team by working closely with teaching assistants, special education needs coordinators (SENCOs), English as an additional language (EAL) specialists, and external professionals.

To help maintain consistency, you should organise informal chats or staff briefings. You can also learn from your colleagues’ inclusive practices through in-person or virtual brainstorming sessions, shared planning time, and peer observations.

In addition to creating a support network within the school environment, it’s vital that you help your students understand that support for them exists in the wider world as well. Provide them with names of appropriate local support groups and/or charities, and educate them about other supports within the community and about their rights as young people. Doing this can give them the encouragement of knowing that inclusivity is not limited to the classroom, further boosting their confidence and self-esteem and making them feel empowered.

7) Integrate Student Voices into Your Planning

Students are more likely to engage and succeed when they see their ideas reflected in the classroom. 

Ask your students what works well for them and their learning. Older students especially, will be able to tell you how they learn best. You can do this informally, through short anonymous surveys, using a suggestion box or giving pupils a choice on how they present their learning.

Involving your students in making decisions, such as creating class rules or choosing reading topics, can add to the sense of belonging and being a part of the learning process. 

Creating an Inclusive Classroom: An Ongoing Commitment

Inclusion in the classroom isn’t a once-off effort. It’s a continuous journey of adapting, growing, and learning alongside your students. 

By remaining open to feedback, celebrating diverse experiences, and embracing flexibility, you can create a classroom environment where every child feels valued, respected, and empowered to succeed.