ABSTRACT
Differentiation is simply the straightforward principle that teachers should adjust their teaching to ensure that the varying needs of different pupils are met, yet paradoxically it is highly contentious. Almost everyone has a strong view on it: teachers, parents, politicians. It will have been part of your education; perhaps it helped you or perhaps you bitterly resented it. This chapter will outline some of the debates surrounding differentiation; it is neither a general guide (see O'Brian and Guiney 2001; Capel et al. 2005: 133–283) nor a practical guide for differentiation in religious education (RE) (see Cappleman 2003).
