A school leaders’ guide to 2025/26: SEND and inclusion

What’s on the horizon in 2025/26?

As the summer sun begins to fade and we prepare to open our school gates again, the 2025/26 academic year comes into view – not just as a date in the diary, but as a critical juncture for education. 

This coming year, we will have to navigate a shifting policy landscape, as well as evolving societal expectations, and persistent operational pressures. 

For governors and trustees, school leaders, and teachers and staff, the key to success is not merely to respond, but to anticipate.

Indeed, strategic vision has never been more crucial. In a climate marked by constant change, those with foresight will be best placed to lead with clarity and conviction.

As such, this series of short blogs aims not just to summarise existing changes but to predict what’s yet to come. It’s a framework for professional curiosity; a panoramic view of the key themes likely to define the year ahead.

In this blog, we will explore…

6 SEND and inclusion

The SEND and Alternative Provision Improvement Plan outlines a national system built on consistency and ambition. But implementation remains uneven, and the needs are growing more complex: emotional, behavioural, and medical.

Whole-school strategies, rooted in high-quality CPD, are essential. Training must equip every adult—from teaching assistants to senior leaders—to contribute confidently to inclusive practice.

By the end of 2025, most national SEND standards will be tested and published, with standardised EHCP templates and a three-tier AP model in place.

Funding increases of £3.5bn are anticipated, but concerns persist around gaps in behaviour support and access to specialist services.

And so, while the direction is set, the reality on the ground remains uneven.

• Demand is rising – more children with complex emotional, behavioural, sensory, and medical needs.
• Funding is stretched – EHCP applications are increasing faster than budgets.
• Provision is patchy – access to specialist support varies widely by local authority.

The challenge for 2025/26 is to build resilient, inclusive schools that do not simply comply with statutory duties, but go further—making inclusion a lived reality in every classroom.

1. Whole-school strategies: inclusion as everyone’s job

Inclusion cannot sit solely in the SENDCo’s lap; it must permeate every lesson, policy, and interaction.

Practical solutions:

• Embed “High Quality Teaching” strategies as the first wave of support: clear explanations, scaffolded tasks, visual prompts, chunked instructions.
• Use universal design principles when planning lessons – designing for the most vulnerable learners benefits all pupils.
• Review behaviour policies through an inclusion lens, ensuring responses address underlying need as well as behaviour.

2. CPD that sticks

Training should be sustained, practical, and directly linked to classroom application, not one-off sessions.

Practical solutions:

• Run SEND in Every Classroom CPD series: bite-sized sessions on areas like ADHD, autism, speech & language needs, anxiety, and trauma-informed practice.
• Use lesson study or peer observation to share effective strategies in real contexts.
• Create a SEND resource hub (online or physical) with model strategies, templates, and guidance accessible to all staff.
• Offer termly SEND briefing updates for all staff to ensure understanding of evolving needs and provision.

3. Role clarity: everyone contributing with confidence

Every adult – teachers, TAs, lunchtime supervisors, office staff – can play a role in inclusion.

Practical solutions:

• Define clear expectations for how different roles contribute to inclusion (e.g., TAs proactively supporting learning, teachers leading adaptations).
• Train non-teaching staff in communication strategies for pupils with speech and language needs.
• Include SEND responsibilities explicitly in job descriptions and appraisal discussions.

4. Early identification and graduated response

The earlier needs are spotted, the better the outcomes, and the lower the likelihood of escalation to costly specialist provision.

Practical solutions:

• Implement regular screening checkpoints for literacy, numeracy, and emotional wellbeing in all year groups.
• Use simple checklists for teachers to flag concerns to the SENDCo early.
• Keep a graduated response tracker so progress and interventions are documented before and after referrals.

5. Family and pupil partnership

Strong home-school relationships are critical for success.

Practical solutions:

• Hold solution-focused review meetings where families and staff co-create action plans.
• Offer parent workshops on understanding needs and supporting learning at home.
• Involve pupils in setting their own goals and reviewing strategies—ownership builds engagement.

6. Links with external expertise

Schools cannot meet every need alone.

Practical moves:

• Map your local SEND network – specialist teachers, therapists, voluntary sector providers – and keep it updated.
• Negotiate shared service agreements with nearby schools to access specialists more affordably.
• Build relationships with NHS and CAMHS teams to reduce referral delays.

7. Monitoring and measuring impact

Inclusion isn’t just about provision; it’s about outcomes.

Practical solutions:

• Track attendance, behaviour, and attainment for pupils with SEND alongside qualitative measures (pupil voice, family feedback).
• Use data to evaluate which interventions are cost-effective and which to discontinue.
• Share success stories widely to build a positive culture around inclusion.

Inclusion is not an intervention; it’s a culture. The most effective schools will be those where every adult has both the will and the skill to meet diverse needs, where pupils feel seen and supported, and where financial and human resources are deployed with both efficiency and empathy.