Leaders must be clear about which pupils the inclusion base is designed to support, before planning the curriculum, staffing or the environment. That decision shapes everything that follows.
This article shares four practical principles for planning the right cohort of pupils, drawing on the experience of Hill View Primary School and insights from our community of practice. It also includes a set of structured reflective questions to help leaders consider how the principles apply in their own contexts.
This article is part of our inclusion base insights series, which shares practical insights and reflection questions to help leaders shape effective inclusion bases for their pupils and context.
A note on terminology: you may use different terms to describe inclusion bases, such as enhanced provision, SEND unit, resource base, or nurture room. The schools featured in our case studies also use different terms internally. Throughout this series, we use ‘inclusion base’ for consistency and to reflect the government’s recent guidance.
Introducing the inclusion base at Hill View Primary School
At Hill View Primary School in Banbury, Oxfordshire, leaders created an inclusion base for pupils whose primary need is communication and interaction. Every pupil has, or is in the process of getting, an education, health and care plan (EHCP).
Alongside an adapted mainstream curriculum, pupils in the base follow a bespoke curriculum designed around their EHCP goals. This has a strong focus on preparing for adulthood and real-world experiences. Pupils who access the base are fully included in wider school life and are valued members of the school community.
A key feature of Hill View’s provision is that leaders are clear about who it supports and the needs it is designed to meet.
Principle one: Define who the base is for
When leaders clearly understand pupils’ needs, they can design support that makes a difference for them. Without that clarity, even the strongest intentions are difficult to translate into better experiences and outcomes for pupils.
At Hill View, leaders identified pupils who were not thriving in mainstream classrooms, even with extra support like adaptations to teaching and interventions. They then worked with the local authority and their trust to establish entry criteria for the base, aimed at pupils whose primary need was communication and interaction.
The admissions process is robust and multi-layered: each case is reviewed by a panel of staff led by an independent SENCO from another school in the trust, using evidence from teacher observations, specialist reports, and family input. The lead teacher observes each pupil in their home class and meets families during several visits. This process makes sure the base is the right fit for each child and that the cohort of pupils is cohesive from the outset.
Hill View’s approach shows the value of taking time to understand pupils’ needs before deciding to place them in the inclusion base. Clear entry criteria, evidence from multiple sources, and meaningful engagement with families help leaders ensure that the provision offered by the inclusion base is well matched to the pupils it serves.
Principle two: Group pupils intentionally
How pupils are grouped shapes both what they are taught and who they learn with. Hill View’s leaders group pupils by stage, not age, so that the curriculum and provision are developmentally appropriate and tailored to their needs. For example, one group is mainly Key Stage 1 pupils but includes some from Key Stage 2, as the curriculum best matches their needs. This enables support to be more targeted, while maintaining age-appropriate peer relationships where possible.
Leaders know that pupils experience the base as part of a group, not just as individuals. They look closely at how different needs and behaviours might interact. For example, some pupils may find certain behaviours overstimulating or may find it hard to work alongside specific peers. Leaders plan staff ratios carefully to ensure every pupil receives the support they need, and that the group as a whole can function effectively.
Hill View’s approach reminds leaders that the grouping of pupils in an inclusion base should support relationships, compatibility, and the potential for meaningful peer interaction. A well-planned group of pupils allows for focused intervention, positive social experiences, and strong outcomes. Leaders should regularly review group dynamics and be prepared to adjust as needed.
Principle three: Engage families throughout the journey
Strong, ongoing relationships with families are at the heart of effective provision in inclusion bases. Families need to know that the provision is right for their child and that the school has carefully considered how to meet their child’s needs.
At Hill View, staff invest time in getting to know each pupil and their family, starting before admission and continuing throughout the pupil’s time in the base. This includes home and school visits, regular informal conversations, and meetings with families to understand every child’s strengths, interests and needs.
Families are actively involved in shaping and supporting their child’s experience. Staff invite families to events and encourage them to celebrate and share progress made at home, such as attending a party or joining a family walk. Regular updates help families feel connected to the base and confident their child is thriving.
Hill View’s experience shows that effective inclusion bases built on genuine partnership with families. By engaging these vital stakeholders at every stage, leaders create a strong support network around each child.
Principle four: Review, respond and refine
Pupils’ needs change over time, so ongoing review and adaptation keeps the inclusion base right for each child.
At Hill View, pupils’ progress is tracked using validated tools, plus a bespoke small-steps system developed by staff with specialist school experience. Leaders review pupils’ personalised targets every six weeks, drawing on teacher observations, specialist input and parental perspectives. Annual EHCP reviews, complemented by termly meetings with all stakeholders, make sure that pupils’ interim targets stay ambitious and relevant.
Staff use this data to ensure that provision is flexible and responsive. Leaders recognise that, despite careful planning, a placement may become less suitable as a pupil’s needs change or become clearer. For one pupil, staff recognised that they needed more support with their mental health than the base was designed to offer, so they worked closely with the pupil and family to reassess needs and support a transition to a more suitable setting. This showed that while clear entry criteria matter, leaders must help all staff understand the pupils in the base and continually reassess how well it is meeting their needs. This allows changes in individual needs or group dynamics to be spotted and addressed early.
Hill View’s experience shows leaders should be ready to adapt the group of pupils, refine entry criteria, and respond to new information, always aiming to match pupils with the right support.
Reflective questions for school leaders
Hill View’s approach to cohort planning underlines four key principles:
- Define who the base is for
- Group pupils intentionally
- Engage families throughout the journey
- Review, respond and refine
To help school leaders think about how they can apply these principles successfully in their own inclusion base, they can consider the following questions:
Define who the base is for
- How well do you understand the needs and context of your school community, and how does this shape the group of pupils for your inclusion base?
- What criteria and processes do you use to identify which pupils the base is designed to support?
- How robust and transparent are your admissions processes, and how do you ensure decisions are based on multiple sources of evidence?
Group pupils intentionally
- How do you decide on groupings within your inclusion base to ensure they are tailored to pupils’ needs?
- How do you balance the need for targeted support with opportunities for age-appropriate peer relationships?
- How do you plan and review staff ratios to support both individual and group needs?
Engage families throughout the journey
- How do you build relationships with families before, during and after a pupil joins the base?
- In what ways do you involve families in shaping and supporting their child’s experience in the base?
Review, respond and refine
- What systems are in place to regularly review the makeup of your cohort?
- How do you track progress and review personalised targets for pupils, and how does this inform provision?
- How do you ensure all staff share an understanding of the cohort and are alert to issues with cohesion or suitability?
Ready to make sense of inclusion bases in your own context?
If you’ve found this case study thought-provoking, our Leading Enhanced Provision programme gives you a supportive space to work with peers and expert facilitators to make sense of your own unique context. There are no quick fixes or simple answers – just honest conversations about what inclusion bases mean for you, wherever you are on your journey.
Plus, get exclusive access to an in-depth digital school visit, giving you a closer look at how different schools are approaching inclusion bases in practice.
Join us to reflect, connect, and build your confidence in leading inclusion bases.
Learn more about the Leading Enhanced Provision programme and how to register.
