Secondary schools in England will be required to provide specially designed inclusion areas for neurodivergent pupils and those with special educational needs and disabilities (Send), the government has announced. The universal 'inclusion bases' are spaces away from classrooms where children with additional needs can receive support for some lessons, forming a key part of the government's planned overhaul of Send support.
The move is part of a £3.7bn investment to redesign the system and create up to 60,000 bespoke places for Send pupils in mainstream schools. New guidance due this spring will set expectations for schools to improve inclusivity and accessibility, potentially including breakout rooms, accessible changing facilities, sensory gardens, and better lighting, acoustics and ventilation.
Avnee Morjaria, lead author of a report on Send reform by the Institute for Public Policy Research, said: 'It is vital that children with Send feel school is a place where they can belong and inclusion bases are an important part of making schools more inclusive.' Madeleine Cassidy, chief executive of IPSEA, noted that schools already have a legal duty under the Equality Act to make reasonable adjustments, but this is 'too often ignored'.
School leaders welcomed the initiative but called for further clarity. Paul Whiteman of the NAHT said primary schools also needed guidance, while Pepe Di’Iasio of ASCL stressed that inclusion bases are 'only one half of the equation' and that funding for specialists and training is essential.
The announcement coincided with the publication of the Department for Education's estate strategy, which includes a £700m repairs fund. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said the measures aim to 'break down barriers to opportunity'. However, a report by MPs warned that 'significant concerns' remain about the condition of England's school estate, particularly following the reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac) crisis that forced school closures in 2023.
