Inclusion base insights
There is no single model for an effective inclusion base, but there are key decisions that can strengthen the support it offers children and young people with complex needs. This series shares practical insights from experienced school and trust leaders and reflective questions to help you think through those decisions, whether you are developing a new inclusion base or improving an existing one.
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Inclusion bases: what school leaders need to know
What are inclusion bases? Learn why they matter, what they are, what the emerging evidence tells us about them and how leaders can shape effective bases for their pupils and context in this article. Plus find out about our inclusion bases insight series.
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Meet the contributors to this series
More mainstream schools are developing inclusion bases for pupils with additional needs, but there is no single blueprint for getting them right. Meet the school, trust and local authority leaders who generously shared their successes and challenges they faced when designing, developing and refining inclusion bases.
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Four principles for building the right cohort of pupils in inclusion bases
Which pupils is the inclusion base designed to support? Find out how Hill View Primary School approached this question. They share insights on defining who the base is for, grouping pupils intentionally, engaging families throughout, and reviewing, responding and refining over time.
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Three principles for setting aims and measuring success in inclusion bases
What is the inclusion base trying to achieve, and how will success be measured? Find out how The Willows at New Marston Primary School approached this question. They share insights on defining a rationale, measuring what matters, and reviewing regularly.
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Four principles for designing physical spaces for inclusion bases
How should the physical environment support pupils' needs? Find out how The GORSE Academies Trust approached this question. They share insights on defining the environment intentionally, grouping pupils thoughtfully, prioritising hygiene, safety and care, and building consistency with mainstream spaces.
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Four principles for designing an ambitious curriculum in inclusion bases
What does an ambitious curriculum look like for pupils accessing an inclusion base? Find out how Humber Education Trust approached this question. They share insights on designing the cohort with care, setting high, personalised expectations, guaranteeing a broad and rich curriculum offer, and rooting the curriculum in strong pedagogy.
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Four principles for embedding high quality teaching in inclusion bases
What teaching approaches best support pupils to learn and thrive? Find out how Hill View and Orchard Meadow primary schools approached this question. They share insights on championing expert and empowered teaching, applying a sound understanding of child development, harnessing specialist expertise through collaboration, and building whole-school expertise.
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Three principles for developing a high-performing staff team in inclusion bases
How can schools build and sustain the expertise needed to make inclusion bases successful? Find out how Redriff Primary School approached this question. They share insights on bringing together complementary expertise, deploying the right expertise in the right place, and embedding ongoing, whole-school professional development.
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Get the reflective questions in one place
Our reflective questions help school and trust leaders, governors and trustees to think about how the principles for effective inclusion bases might apply in their setting. Download this handy PDF which has all the questions in one place to support your discussions.