The summer term saw an influx of updated DfE guidance, from suspensions and exclusions to allergy safety, working together to improve school attendance, and keeping children safe in education. 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.

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 classroom that every child can access.
5. A safe, respectful culture where all pupils feel they belong and want to attend.
6. Strong partnerships with families and wider services.
7. Inclusive environments with ongoing improvements to accessibility.

What schools must publish

Schools must ensure that their strategy covers:

• The barriers to learning and participation identified across the school's cohort.
• The steps being taken to address them.
• The intended outcomes.
• How these apply to the seven principles of inclusion.
• A review of the previous academic year (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 approach ('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 first-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.