The Educator Magazine U.K. Sept-Dec 2026 issue - Magazine - Page 34
Inclusion in schools:
The new duty, deadline and
inspection framework explained
Article by Laura Thompson, Principle Associate at Browne Jacobson
The summer term saw an in昀氀ux of
updated DfE guidance, from suspensions
and exclusions to allergy safety, working
together to improve school attendance,
and keeping children safe in education.
6. Strong partnerships with families and
wider services.
But school leaders still have work to
do. The requirement to develop and
publish an inclusion strategy remains
outstanding for many schools and, whilst
the deadline is not until December 2026,
with Ofsted’s new inspection framework
landing in September 2026, there is a
clear incentive to get ahead.
What schools must
publish
The inclusion strategy
requirement
The government is rolling out the
inclusive Mainstream Fund (IMF) as part
of a broader commitment to building a
more inclusive mainstream education
system. The strategy isn’t just focused
on SEND – it’s about ensuring inclusive
practice for all children.
As a condition of receiving the IMF,
schools must publish an inclusion
strategy on their website by 31
December each year.
However, the strategy isn't just a
condition of IMF funding; it's also an
explicit focus of Ofsted's new inspection
framework, which applies from 7
September 2026.
The seven principles of
inclusion
Everything funded through the IMF is
required to sit under one of seven
principles of inclusion:
1. Ambitious leadership and governance
that genuinely embeds inclusion.
2. Evidence-based support, with a focus
on early intervention.
3. High quality, adaptive teaching with a
curriculum that works for all learners.
4. Enriching provision beyond the class
room that every child can access.
5. A safe, respectful culture where all
pupils feel they belong and want to
attend.
7. Inclusive environments with ongoing
improvements to accessibility.
Schools must ensure that their strategy
covers:
• The barriers to learning and participation
identi昀椀ed across the school's cohort.
• The steps being taken to address them.
• The intended outcomes.
• How these apply to the seven principles
of inclusion. (from 2027 onwards).
The inclusion strategy as
an inspection focus
Ofsted's inspection toolkit states that
inspectors will assess whether leaders,
alongside governors and/or trustees, have
developed and published an inclusion
strategy setting out how school funding
- including the IMF - will be used to meet
pupil needs and improve inclusive practice
across the school.
Beyond the strategy document, inspectors
will consider how inclusion operates in
practice, including whether:
• Leaders recognise that effective
inclusion starts with high quality,
adaptive everyday teaching.
• Staff can - and do - identify and respond
to the barriers pupils face.
• The school consults external specialists,
implements their advice, and complies
with the Equality Act 2010 and the SEND
Code of Practice.
• Leaders work closely with parents and
take their knowledge of their children
seriously.
• Leaders ensure that inclusion bases are
effective at meeting pupils’ needs and
that any alternative provision is suitable,
safe and in pupils’ best interests.
• The school applies the graduated
aproach ('assess, plan, do, review')
consistently and effectively.
Practical steps for school
leaders
Each strategy has to start somewhere.
Here are our top tips for producing an
inclusion strategy that complies with the
new framework:
1. Schools should audit their current
provision, conducting an honest
assessment against the seven
principles of inclusion.
2. Identify the key barriers for pupils.
Draw on the full range of available data
and conversations, not just the SEN
register. The inclusion strategy is about
more than SEND.
3. Set out clearly how both the IMF
allocation and core budget
(including the notional SEN budget)
will be used, with actual costs.
4. Publish on the school website by 31
December 2026. This is both a grant
condition and an inspection
focus.
5. Build in annual review from the start.
Set realistic 昀椀rst-year goals and plan
for how these will be developed year
on year.
Inclusion strategy
resources
We've put together an inclusion strategy
template that takes school leaders step by
step through the requirements to ensure a
fully compliant strategy. The template
is part of our SEND Support Pack for
schools, which includes a template SEND
information report, SEND policy and
accessibility plan – all of which are
referred to within Ofsted’s inspection
framework.
For further information, or to discuss
what this means for your school,
please get in touch.
