Department for Education issues guidance on SEND and inclusion

Looking at inclusion bases in schools - dedicated spaces providing targeted teaching and specialist support to those who need it - new guidance states that they will be “run by a qualified teacher, never used as a sanction, and allow access to an adapted, broad, ambitious curriculum to meet the needs of every child, serving as a bridge to school life rather than a barrier to it”.

The DfE said: “That means more time for children in mainstream classes alongside their friends and will put a stop to inconsistent and patchy provision where children feel excluded from the wider school – being left out of lessons, trips or activities.”

The bases go alongside an overhaul on physical spaces including classrooms, with guidance for schools, early years and post-16, setting out how settings can adapt buildings that are shaped around the real experience of a child or young person with SEND.

To make sure the whole site meets the needs of children, Inclusive Estates guidance suggests design adaptations to support an inclusive and accessible environment in mainstream education settings.

Suggestions include adapting acoustics and light, introducing quiet and calm spaces like sensory gardens or installing ramps or handrails.

Meanwhile, the guidance recommends structured walkthroughs or “Day in the Life” approaches to identify challenges in navigating the physical space.

Separate guidance on the inclusive mainstream fund includes examples of best practice for schools to use inclusive mainstream funding to strengthen inclusive practice and develop an inclusion strategy.

The guidance states: “To ensure that the inclusive mainstream fund is focused on providing schools with more resources to meaningfully deliver inclusive practice, schools will be expected to use their funding to understand the needs of their cohort and strategically plan to implement whole-school approaches to inclusion that will remove commonly occurring and predictable barriers to learning for all pupils.”

According to the DfE, schools will also be able to spend this funding on the development of targeted evidence-based support for pupils whose needs cannot be met through the universal offer alone.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said: “Every child and young person deserves to feel included, without fighting for the support they need to succeed.

“We are giving schools a clear, practical blueprint to become truly inclusive, from calmer classrooms and sensory-friendly spaces, to specialist support embedded right in the heart of the school, so children can learn alongside their peers rather than miles from home.

“Every child deserves to attend a school where they belong, where the environment works for them, and where the right support is simply part of the school day. That’s what we’re building.”

Lottie Winson