The government’s focus on inclusive education is encouraging, but the path to achieving true inclusivity remains fraught with challenges.
There is a real danger that inclusion could become a box-ticking exercise, similar to how rigid academic benchmarks have led to unintended consequences in the past.
Just as success was once narrowly defined by grades, inclusion risks being reduced to a physical placement in mainstream classrooms rather than ensuring that every child, regardless of their needs, is empowered to thrive.
Inclusion is more than a policy or checklist; it’s a mindset. Unfortunately, many schools approach inclusion as an afterthought, with systemic barriers preventing real progress.
Inclusion must be understood as an experience, not merely a placement, particularly for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Schools must create environments where all children, especially those with SEND, feel a genuine sense of belonging, academically and socially.
But schools need resources, training and time to implement inclusion effectively. Without these, inclusion risks remaining an aspirational ideal rather than a practical reality.
So how might we bring about the system-wide culture change that is so clearly needed?
Leadership structures
The voices of families, particularly those of children with SEND or other vulnerabilities, need to be actively involved in school governance. Too often, decisions are made without consulting those with lived experience of the challenges schools face.
Schools should reflect the diversity of their pupil population in their governance structures, ensuring that the insights of parents and families help shape strategic decisions.
There is no reason government could not stipulate this governance requirement, which would be sure to move schools quickly beyond a surface-level understanding of inclusion.
Incentives and capacity
Another pivotal role for government is to review an accountability framework that prioritises narrow academic outcomes, marginalising students who do not fit traditional academic models. School leaders should be able to embrace inclusion without placing themselves and their staff at professional risk.
Inclusion will remain a token gesture unless schools are incentivised to celebrate diverse forms of success, such as social development, resilience, creativity and personal growth alongside academic achievement. Broadening the definition of school success is essential, as is providing the resources and incentives for leaders to make inclusion a priority.
And schools will need to be able to rely on trained teachers to deliver on this inclusive vision. So professional development also plays an important role, beginning with teacher training and continuing through all stages of career progression, including the Early Career Framework (ECT) and National Professional Qualifications (NPQs).
Social, not medical
What’s particularly limiting is the continued reliance on the medical model of disability, where students with SEND are often seen as having a ‘problem’ that needs to be ‘fixed’. This perspective reinforces low expectations and disempowers students.
Instead, schools should adopt the social model of disability, which views the environment, not the individual, as the barrier to progress. Inclusive schools see removing those barriers to learning as their core mission. This shift in perspective is critical for creating schools where all students feel valued and supported.
Curriculum and assessment
The curriculum and assessment review presents a golden opportunity to drive inclusion too.
Our current one-size-fits-all approach has failed many pupils, particularly those with SEND. High-stakes exams dominate, leaving little room for recognising diverse talents and abilities.
The OCR report, Striking the Balance, found that their GCSE maths paper 1 is 99.7% accurate in predicting, within one grade, a student’s final outcome, highlighting how fewer exams could still maintain reliability. Reducing exam pressure would give schools more freedom to focus on inclusive practices.
Global examples
Looking at education systems worldwide offers further insights. Models from British Columbia to Finland integrate inclusivity holistically, preparing children for the future by developing a broad range of skills and personal attributes alongside academic knowledge.
These systems ensure that every learner receives the support they need to progress, regardless of their starting point. These global examples offer valuable lessons for England.
They show that by reforming the curriculum, assessment and accountability systems and providing the necessary funding, we can create genuinely inclusive schools.
This is not about lowering expectations; it’s about creating the right conditions for all children to succeed. Only then will inclusion move beyond rhetoric and box-ticking and become a reality in every school.
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