New Government guidance on inclusion in education settings
The Government has published several pieces of guidance to support mainstream schools and other education settings to become more inclusive.
Published: 25 June 2026
The Government has published new guidance on inclusion strategies, inclusive buildings and inclusion bases, setting out expectations for mainstream schools and other education providers to deliver more inclusive settings. The new guidance is part of wider reform plans the Government hopes will make sure all children and young people can access the support they need in school, wherever they live.
Mainstream inclusion strategies
As part of their proposed reforms, the Government has announced a Mainstream Inclusion Fund. This will provide funding over the next three years for mainstream schools to improve inclusive practice, particularly for children and young people with SEND.
To access this funding, schools will need to produce an inclusion strategy explaining how they will use the money and how it will support the school to become more inclusive.
This inclusion strategy guidance for schools includes 7 principles of inclusion which schools must take into consideration when writing their inclusion strategies.
Young people from our Youth Collective, alongside Kids, have been asking Government to develop and publish clear principles of inclusion for a long time, particularly to support meaningful SEND reform.
The Government’s seven principles of inclusion are:
1. Ambitious leadership and governance that embeds inclusion
2. Evidence-based support prioritising early intervention
3. High-quality adaptive teaching with a curriculum designed for all learners
4. Enriching provision beyond the classroom that all children can access
5. A safe and respectful culture fostering belonging, attendance, and participation in learning
6. Strong partnerships with families and wider services
7. Inclusive environments with continuous improvement in accessibility
It is encouraging to see these included in the guidance and many of the principles closely align with our own that we set out in our SEND reform briefings and consultation response. We and the young people in our Youth Collective will continue to feed back to Government on what makes a good inclusive school setting to ensure the detail behind these principles is understood, delivered and inspected against so that young people with SEND start to see real change in education settings.
Inclusive environments
The Inclusive Estates guidance sets out how school buildings and environments can better support children and young people with SEND. It reinforces that inclusion isn’t just about classrooms or physical layouts, but about the whole school experience and encourages schools to work directly with children and young people to understand their lived experience.
We are pleased to see recognition of a whole-school approach – not just focusing on the physical environment, but on the wider culture and attitudes that shape a child’s experience. Inclusion is everyone’s responsibility, and this has been central to our recommendations to Government for the SEND reforms.
The guidance reflects many of the things young people have been telling us – that environmental factors, whether big or small, can have a real impact on whether they feel safe, comfortable and able to learn at school. Things like lighting, acoustics, temperature, and access to calm spaces can make a big difference to their education experience.
Inclusion bases
The Government has published guidance to support schools and local authorities to set up, deliver and improve inclusion bases. They have given £3.7 billion of funding as part of the reforms for every school to have an inclusion base.
Inclusion bases are spaces within mainstream schools designed to provide extra support, teaching and specialist help for children with additional needs, either alongside or instead of regular classes. There are a range of these types of bases, and they can be run and delivered in various ways.
The guidance shares six principles of effective inclusion bases:
The guidance shares six principles of effective inclusion bases:
1. Supporting inclusion in the school or local area: Children remain part of the mainstream school community, with carefully planned integration that builds belonging and inclusion across the whole school.
2. High-quality curriculum design: Pupils access an ambitious, tailored curriculum that is adapted to meet needs without lowering expectations.
3. Effective data, assessment and outcomes: Progress is closely monitored and provision is adjusted using evidence of what works.
4. Effective workforce and leadership: Skilled teams deliver high-quality teaching and share expertise to strengthen inclusion across the school.
5. Effective partnership working: Strong collaboration with families, staff and external professionals ensures joined-up support and shared responsibility.
6. Inclusive and accessible physical environments: Purposeful, flexible and accessible spaces support wellbeing, engagement and smooth integration with mainstream school life.
The guidance rightly recognises the importance of a whole-school approach to inclusion. True inclusion means children and young people with SEND belong in every part of school life – from classrooms and playgrounds to policies, practices and attitudes.
Inclusion bases must be planned, designed and delivered carefully and be based on the needs of local children and young people. They should be staffed by trained, specialist staff with a clear purpose and understanding of its remit and how it fits into the wider school. They must serve to prioritise the safety and learning needs of students and not serve to further segregate children and young people with SEND.
Positive first step – now it must translate into practice
The new guidance provides a first step towards greater consistency in how inclusion is understood and delivered in mainstream schools. However, whether it has a positive impact on the everyday lives of children and young people with SEND will depend on how it is implemented, including the level of funding, support for schools, and how consistently expectations are applied. We need strong systems and consequences to hold schools to account if they don’t follow this guidance in practice.
The success of these reforms overall will depend on long-term, sustainable funding and the right resources, workforce and accountability systems being in place to support schools to deliver real inclusion.
We will continue to work alongside children and young people with SEND, families, and SEND professionals to make sure inclusion strategies don’t just stay on paper, but lead to real, lasting change in schools and everyday experiences.
Read the guidance
Below are links to the Government’s guidance on inclusion in education settings.