Igniting Potential
The Inclusive Teacher's Guide to SEND Success.
- Publisher
- Routledge · Speechmark
- Author
- Emma Noel Pinnock
- Format
- Paperback · eBook
- Release
- 2026
20% off with code 26SME2 at Routledge · Kindle & fast delivery on Amazon UK.
Use code 26SME2 at checkout · Valid 1 April – 30 September 2026.
A coherent SEND pedagogy for every classroom.
Igniting Potential is a practical, research-informed guide for teachers who are done with tick-box inclusion. Drawing on psychology, neuroscience and more than a decade of frontline classroom experience, Emma Pinnock builds a coherent pedagogy that treats SEND not as a separate track — but as the very definition of excellent teaching.
The book is written for the people who do the work: classroom teachers, SENCOs, teaching assistants, senior leaders, coaches, parents and everyone shaping how children learn. It bridges the gap between the science of how brains develop and the reality of Monday morning — so that adaptive teaching becomes something schools can actually plan, sustain and scale.
Readers come away with a shared language, a stronger evidence base and a set of confident, humane strategies that lift every learner. It is the SEND book Emma wishes she'd had at the start of her career — and the one the profession has been waiting for.
Six shifts that transform how you teach.
Build teacher confidence
Give staff the vocabulary and frameworks to talk about SEND with authority — not anxiety.
Apply the neuroscience
Translate what we know about regulation, memory and attention into classroom decisions that actually stick.
Ignite motivation
Design lessons that meet children where they are developmentally so every learner can access challenge.
Coach growth mindsets
Move beyond slogans into concrete practices that build genuine self-belief in pupils and adults.
Design inclusive learning
Plan adaptive teaching as the standard — not the exception — across every subject and phase.
Sustain wellbeing
Protect teacher energy by replacing overwhelm with a coherent SEND pedagogy the whole school shares.
Paperback, hardback or eBook — all available now.
Every format is fulfilled by Routledge. Use code 26SME2 at checkout — valid April–September 2026.
Paperback
- •Perfect for staffrooms and CPD libraries
- •Highlight, sticky-note and annotate freely
- •Available now
Hardback
- •Durable binding for school & university libraries
- •Ideal for reference collections
- •Available now
eBook
- •Read on any device, anywhere
- •Search the full text instantly
- •Great for whole-team distribution
Prices shown are Routledge RRPs and may vary by region. Prices may vary.
The themes running through every chapter.
- 01
Stage before age — meeting children developmentally, not chronologically.
- 02
Regulation before cognition — how the nervous system sets the ceiling on learning.
- 03
Adaptive teaching as excellent teaching — one standard, every child.
- 04
Knowledge builds confidence — the science every teacher deserves to know.
- 05
Understand the child — designing education around the learner, not the system.
- 06
Inclusion benefits everyone — why SEND pedagogy lifts the whole classroom.
Try Chapter 1 before you buy.
Get a feel for Emma's voice, the research base and the classroom-ready frameworks. Preview the opening chapter of Igniting Potential in your browser, or have a PDF sample sent straight to your inbox.
Opens the book preview in a new tab · Free · No sign-in required.
Why "inclusion" isn't enough
"For too long, SEND has been framed as an add-on — a differentiated worksheet, an extra adult, a separate plan. This book starts from a different premise: what if the way we teach SEND learners issimply what excellent teaching looks like?"
Continue reading in the free preview…
Read a chapter before you buy.
Get an exclusive chapter of Igniting Potential sent straight to your inbox — no strings attached. Perfect for staff meetings, book groups or a quick look at Emma's approach to SEND pedagogy.
- • Full opening chapter as a PDF
- • Discussion prompts for your team
- • No spam — unsubscribe any time
Copies for your school, trust or CPD programme.
Equipping every teacher on your staff with Igniting Potential? Tell us how many copies you need and we'll co-ordinate the best price, invoicing and dispatch.
- • Volume pricing on 5+ copies
- • PO / invoice friendly for schools & universities
- • Optional author Q&A for staff meetings
Prefer email? Write to support@essentialeducationgroup.com
Reviewing, teaching with, or featuring the book?
We share complimentary review and inspection copies with book reviewers, academics considering the text for course adoption, journalists, podcasters and specialist booksellers.
- • Print or digital review copy (subject to availability)
- • Author interviews & guest posts on request
- • Course adoption pack for university reading lists
Everything you need to know before buying.
What formats is the book available in?
Igniting Potential is available as a paperback and as an eBook. Both editions contain the full text, frameworks and classroom strategies. Choose the format that fits how you read and reference books day-to-day.
Where can I buy the book?
Add the book to your basket on Routledge.com and enter code 26SME2 at checkout. The discount is applied instantly. The code is valid 1 April – 30 September 2026.
Can I order multiple copies for my school or trust?
Yes. You can order multiple copies through Routledge for your staff team or trust-wide CPD programme. For larger bulk orders, invoicing and custom quantities, email support@essentialeducationgroup.com.
Is this book only for SENCOs?
Not at all. It is written for classroom teachers, teaching assistants, senior leaders, coaches, parents and anyone shaping how children learn. The SEND pedagogy in the book is framed as excellent teaching for every learner.
When will the book be dispatched?
Routledge handles fulfilment and delivery. You will see estimated delivery dates during checkout.
Can I request a review or inspection copy?
Academics, reviewers and procurement leads can request a sample or inspection copy via the Request a sample link on the homepage. We also share excerpts and downloadable resources for book groups and staff meetings.
Still have a question? Email the team
Emma Noel Pinnock
Educator · Author · Founder, Essential Education Group
Emma is an educator, speaker and founder of Essential Education Group, working with schools, trusts and local authorities across the UK to raise the standard of SEND pedagogy. Her practice blends psychology, neuroscience and lived classroom experience into training that teachers can use on Monday morning.
She has spent over a decade championing inclusive education — coaching leaders, running whole-school CPD, and building the frameworks that underpin Igniting Potential. Emma writes and speaks widely on adaptive teaching, teacher confidence and the science of learning.
- SEND Pedagogy
- Adaptive Teaching
- Neuroscience of Learning
- Leadership for Inclusion
- Teacher Wellbeing
Reader feedback
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Use Emma's exclusive code at checkout. Valid 1 April – 30 September 2026.
20% off with code 26SME2 at Routledge · Kindle & fast delivery on Amazon UK.
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