New SEND and inclusive teaching training materials for schools and post-16 settings: first part now available

Developed by Ambition Institute for the Department for Education and available on gov.uk, these are the first in a package of optional training materials that will be released throughout 2026/27.

Schools and post-16 settings can use these training materials to plan and deliver professional development for their own staff in a way that works for them. They are intended to help staff:

> build confidence and expertise in inclusive teaching practices
> create positive, supportive and inclusive learning environments
> understand and respond effectively to individual needs

This first release introduces inclusive teaching and the key aspects of child development that can help educators understand the challenges learners may face, before focussing more deeply on speech, language and communication. Speech, language and communication is an area with a strong evidence base, and which has one of the biggest impacts on learning. It is also the most common primary need among pupils receiving SEN support, accounting for around one in four of those pupils.

The materials are grounded in insight and the best available evidence, including guidance from the Education Endowment Foundation, and drawing on our Inclusive Teaching Framework. We have shaped them through extensive collaboration with schools, post-16 settings, specialists and organisations from across the education sector.

What is included in the training materials?
The materials include slides, evidence summaries, and guided activities that build knowledge, show examples, suggest practical things educators can do, and give opportunities to reflect on how best to put the knowledge into practice in different contexts.

The content builds on strong practice that will already be familiar to many educators, helping them understand how high quality teaching approaches can be adapted to support learners with different needs.

How can settings use the materials?
There is no single prescribed route through the package. The materials can be downloaded and edited, and schools and colleges can select, adapt and sequence the materials flexibly around their own priorities, staff knowledge and learners.

What’s next?
The training materials are one part of the increasing support available to schools and post-16 settings to help them meet the needs of all learners, especially those with SEND.

Further materials will be available later in 2026/27, and will add more depth on areas including executive function, sensory development, motor and physical development, and social and emotional development, alongside wider support for planning, monitoring and evaluating professional development.

Ambition and the Department for Education welcome feedback on these first materials to help shape the next phase of support. Future materials will also reflect ongoing developments in SEND reform. If you would like to share any feedback, please complete the DfE feedback form.

Hilary Spencer, Chief Executive of Ambition Institute, said:
“We are pleased to share these new training materials for schools and post-16 settings across England. Ambition Institute has worked closely with teachers, leaders, sector specialists, schools, colleges, and the Department for Education to develop these resources. These materials mark the start of a wider package of support, and we look forward to working with the sector to refine and expand these materials over the coming year.

Every child and young person deserves to feel included and able to achieve their potential. We know that educators across the country want to feel more confident and well-equipped to support children and young people with SEND. Our aim throughout has been to create practical, adaptable materials that help teachers and support staff to respond to a wide range of needs and strengthen their inclusive teaching practice.

At Ambition Institute, our mission is to help educators serving children from disadvantaged backgrounds to keep getting better. We hope these materials contribute to helping every child and young person thrive, whatever their starting point.”

Where can I access the materials?
Separate tailored versions of the training materials for schools and post-16 settings are available on gov.uk:

Access the training materials for schools.
Access the training materials for post-16 settings.

For more information about Ambition Institute’s Inclusive Teaching Framework and professional development programmes, visit our website.