What is the Inclusion Mainstream Fund?
The Government have announced the Inclusive Mainstream Fund, a grant paid directly to local authorities and academy trusts, designed to support schools in becoming more systemically and sustainably inclusive by embedding inclusive practice into teaching, leadership, environments, and policies.
As part of the guidance, the Government has set out seven themes to help schools shape their approach to inclusion and use of the fund.
There is no requirement to spread your funds evenly across different areas of inclusion as long as you can justify your spending based on the needs and requirements of your pupils and your setting. The 7 themes are:
- Inclusion embedded into all planning across the school, from leadership to the classroom.
- Evidence-informed early identification and intervention
- High-quality, supportive teaching
- Accessible and enriching extra-curricular activities
- Creating safe and respectful cultures focused on belonging
- Family support and strong partnerships
- Inclusive, accessible and supportive learning environments
Here, we show what each theme can look like in practice, where schools might choose to focus their funding, and how Motional can support some of the priorities within each area.
As well as this blog, we’re hosting a webinar all about the Inclusion Mainstream Fund, the 7 themes of activity, and the accompanying Inclusion Strategy. By signing up, you’ll get access to a practical Inclusion Strategy template with guidance and prompts to support each stage of the process.
Sign up for the IMF Webinar HERE
Theme 1 – Ambitious leadership and governance that embeds inclusion in planning
What the Government Guidance States
The guidance emphasises the continuous consideration of learning and development needs within school cohorts, supported by data collection and peer review to help deliver high standards for all children and young people.
What this could look like in practice:
- Inclusion Audit – Review how inclusive your school’s current policies, strategies, teaching and curriculum are. This could be an external specialist or an internal review.
- Needs analysis – The most effective way to embed inclusion into planning is to analyse the needs of your pupils. This may be a review of current known need or a more in-depth measurement of your entire cohort’s learning, wellbeing and executive function needs.
- Culture Support – Work with external inclusion specialists to embed a culture of inclusion into the school. This will become clearer over time, with the roll-out of the “Experts at Hand initiative.
- Governor Training – In-depth training for stakeholders and governors on what it looks like to be an inclusive school, how to evaluate your school’s current inclusivity and steps to take to improve and progress.
How does Motional support this?
Motional can help inform your setting’s annual inclusion strategy by building a clearer picture of Emotional Wellbeing need across individuals, classes and cohorts, while also considering Relationship and Environment. This recognises that inclusion and belonging are not simply characteristics of the child, but are shaped by the systems, relationships and environments around them.That insight can help leaders identify priorities, consider where resources may be most useful, and evaluate impact over time.
Motional’s Organisational Snapshot brings together the views of leaders, governors, stakeholders and staff to identify priorities, develop actions and review progress over time, supporting the DfE’s emphasis on ambitious leadership, governance, culture and continuous consideration of need.
Theme 2 – Evidence-based support
What the Government states
Prioritising early intervention, so children and young people with SEND can access effective targeted provision at the right time.
What this could look like in practice:
- Identification Tool – An effective, sustainable way to identify and track need across the school, including areas such as wellbeing, attendance, persistent absence, exclusions, and parent communication.
- Targeted Interventions – At individual, small-group, or class level, provide evidence-informed programs in areas of learning as well as emotional wellbeing, social learning and executive function.
- Upskilling staff – Work with your team to ensure they are positively equipped to support a range of pupil needs in an informed and supportive manner.
- Evidencing the impact – Access a tool that measures, evidences, and reviews the impact your new and established practices and strategies have on your students.
How does Motional support this?
As a tool for understanding Emotional Wellbeing needs earlier, Motional can support your setting in identifying where support may be most useful, while also considering Relationship and Environment and supporting an individual, inclusive and neuro-affirming approach.It goes beyond just identification though; the government are looking for your interventions to be monitored, evidenced and adapted as necessary. Through continued use of Motional, you can begin to see changes over time and build an evidence base around the impact of your support on individuals, groups, classes and the wider school.
Theme 3 – High-quality teaching
What the Government states
With a curriculum designed for all learners, and with teaching and support staff trained, supported and effectively deployed to address a diverse range of needs
What this could look like in practice:
- Adaptive Teaching – The way teachers adapt their practice so individual learners can access the same learning with high aspirations and expectations. Training can help ensure this remains consistent, inclusive and achievable across the school.
- CPD – Training in neurodivergence, SEMH and other needs frequently observed in your setting is a sustainable way to support your staff and students.
- Support Staff Review – Review how support staff are currently deployed and, with new strategies and policies in mind, consider the most effective use of existing staff to support inclusive environments.
- Engaging student-led curriculum areas – Develop a current and relevant curriculum that gives pupils appropriate opportunities for autonomy and reflects their interests, strengths and needs.
How does Motional support this?
In addition to activities for targeted individual and small-group interventions, Motional offers evidence-informed advice and provides ongoing CPD to staff in areas of need specific to the pupils they work with directly.
With neuroaffirming key considerations with each activity, staff begin to embed inclusive, considerate practice into their everyday interactions.
Theme 4 – Accessible and enriching provision beyond the classroom
What the Government states
The guidance highlights provision beyond the classroom which provides all children with opportunities to support their personal development, build their independence and prepare for adulthood
What this could look like in practice:
- Audit of current extracurricular activities and enrichment – Review your current trips and residentials, clubs, and enrichment activities to evaluate how inclusive they are and use the funding to ensure they are accessible to all.
- Life Skills – This theme highlights the importance of opportunities that support personal development, build independence and help prepare pupils for adulthood. Funding could provide access to off-site opportunities or on-site specialists.
- Pupil Development – Pupils can access courses and training that promote leadership, mentoring, and greater responsibility.
How does Motional support this?
Motional doesn’t provide enrichment activities, but it can help schools understand which pupils or groups may benefit from additional opportunities and which areas of Emotional Wellbeing could be supported through them.The Advice within Motional can also be used alongside enrichment activities, helping staff consider how Relationship and Environment may support participation, engagement and Emotional Wellbeing within that provision.
For example, a Groupshot might highlight patterns in Social Engagement, Social Defence or Executive Functioning across a cohort. This could help staff consider whether particular pupils or groups may benefit from enrichment opportunities that support areas such as Sense of Self, Relationship with Others or loss, while also using Motional Advice to help shape how that provision is delivered.
Repeating a Groupshot over time can then help schools review change and consider whether the support should continue, adapt or shift towards different priorities. Pre- and post-intervention Groupshots can also help staff build a clearer picture of how effective that provision appears to have been.
Theme 5 – a safe and respectful culture fostering belonging and attendance
What the Government states
Approaches may include practices and policies supporting attendance or behaviour ambitions and upskilling of staff by alternative provision specialists.
What this could look like in practice:
- Alternative Provision Partnerships – Skill-sharing, behaviour system reviews, enrichment Programs and SEND/SEMH training. Working closely with local alternative provision can support both pupils and staff.
- Attendance review: Identify patterns in attendance and absence, particularly for pupils or groups where belonging, SEND, Emotional Wellbeing or participation may be a factor.
- Emotional Regulation Training – Support pupils and adults to understand regulation, recognise signs of dysregulation and use strategies that help create safer, more predictable learning environments. Students can equip themselves for future changes, challenges and adult life, and adults can ensure they’re in a regulated space to best support their students.
- Supporting transitions and reintegration – Ensure all staff are equipped to support students when they enter or return to a space from holidays, exclusions and other planned or unplanned absences.
- PSHE schemes – An effective PSHE scheme that promotes pupil engagement and enables staff to deliver it in ways that work best for their learners can have a significant impact on emotional wellbeing and a sense of belonging.
How does Motional support this?
Motional can help schools explore attendance, participation and belonging alongside a broader picture of Emotional Wellbeing need.A pupil’s attendance data can be considered alongside patterns in areas such as Relationship with Others, Sense of Self, CARE and FEAR, as well as Relationship and Environment. This can help staff ask better questions about what may be contributing to disengagement or absence and where support might be most useful.
Repeated Snapshots or Groupshots can then help schools review change over time, alongside attendance, participation and other school evidence, and adapt their approach where needed.
Theme 6 – Strong partnerships with families and wider services to support children and young people, particularly through transitions
What the Government states
Activities may include sharing expertise and resources across settings, extra staff time to aid transitions, and outward engagement with families to support wellbeing and attendance.
What this could look like in practice:
- Time – Time for staff from different settings to share knowledge, understanding and experiences of students so that they can be best supported in any environment. Time for family outreach during significant transitions. Time for transition planning. Time for well-attended and prepared ‘Team Around the Family’ meetings that best support everyone involved.
- Wellbeing – Changes and transitions can affect Emotional Wellbeing. Consider how Relationship and Environment can provide greater predictability, safety and connection during these periods, alongside individual support where needed.
- Systemic change through strong partnerships – Share training costs, approaches and experiences with as many local schools and partners as possible.
How does Motional support this?
Motional can help local authorities, MATs and schools build a more joined-up picture of Emotional Wellbeing across different settings and stages of a child or young person’s journey.Insights from different adults can help build a fuller understanding of how Relationship and Environment may be influencing wellbeing in different contexts, and can support more informed conversations about what may help.
At MAT, local authority and school level, aggregated and stratified data can provide valuable insight into recurring areas of need, helping to inform shared priorities, training, commissioning and the use of resources.
The shared understanding gathered through Motional can also support more informed conversations with families and other professionals working with the child or young person.
Theme 7 – Inclusive environments with continued improvements to accessibility, creating more supportive learning experiences
What the Government states
Classrooms should be designed to support learning, minimise distraction, and meet a range of sensory and regulatory needs.
What this could look like in practice:
- Environmental Audit – Identify environmental barriers that may make it harder for pupils to access learning and participate fully.
Consider:
– noise; types, levels and regularity
– lighting; types, levels and placement
– visual aids; colours, heights, accessibility
– space; how many ways in and out are there, are there places to sit, stand and move, and have decisions been informed by the current cohort of children? - Resources to respond to the audit – with noise, lighting, visual organisation, and learning spaces, consider: sound-absorbing materials, glare, clutter, dyslexia-friendly displays and visuals, standing desks, and resources more specific to your current cohorts.
- Assistive technology – Equipment and resources that can be used by current and future students are a sustainable use of your IMF.
- Staff training – CPD for all staff on the need for designing inclusive learning environments.
How does Motional support this?
Motional can help schools understand how Relationship and Environment may be influencing Emotional Wellbeing, participation and access to learning.If Groupshots or whole-school data reveal patterns in areas such as Emotional Regulation, Thinking & Concentration or FEAR, staff can use that insight to explore whether environmental factors such as noise, visual load, classroom organisation, predictability, transitions or access to safe and supportive spaces may be contributing.
Using Groupshots at class or cohort level can help staff identify recurring patterns and reflect on where changes to practice, Relationship or Environment may be most useful. At whole-school level, aggregated and stratified data can help leaders identify broader themes and inform priorities for improving inclusive learning environments.
Motional does not replace an environmental audit or specialist accessibility advice, but it can add another layer of insight by helping schools ask better questions about where changes may support greater regulation, participation and belonging.
Repeated use over time can then help schools review whether those changes are making a difference.
Bringing the seven themes together
Embedding inclusive practice will require a range of tools, resources, partnerships and approaches. Motional can provide the insight that helps inform those decisions and build a clearer picture of the impact they are having over time.
Motional is not a standalone wellbeing Program. It helps schools understand need, consider the influence of Relationship and Environment, decide where support may be most useful and review change over time.
Understand your cohort
Use that insight to set inclusion priorities
Support staff through Advice, CPD and practical strategies
Provide Activities and Programs for individuals, groups and classes
Review change over time
Use what you learn to adapt practice, provision and priorities
How do these 7 themes link to the inclusion strategy?
By 31 December, your school website will need to provide access to an updated Inclusion Strategy setting out how you will understand the needs of your current cohort, identify barriers to learning and participation, and use your resources to strengthen inclusive practice.
The seven themes are not a checklist, and there is no requirement to divide your Inclusive Mainstream Fund equally between them. Instead, they provide a framework for considering where your greatest priorities lie and where investment may make the most difference.
Importantly, they also encourage schools to look beyond SEND provision alone and towards the wider systems, relationships and environments that shape participation, Emotional Wellbeing and belonging across the whole school.
For many schools, the first step will be to build a clearer picture of current need and existing practice. That might include reviewing data, gathering pupil, family and staff voice, examining attendance and participation, and using tools such as environmental or organisational audits.
From there, schools can set priorities, make informed decisions about activity and spending, and establish how they will review progress over time.
To help you get started, we’re hosting a webinar all about the Inclusion Mainstream Fund, the 7 themes of activity, and the accompanying Inclusion Strategy. By signing up, you’ll get access to a practical Inclusion Strategy template with guidance and prompts to support each stage of the process.
Sign up for the IMF Webinar HERE
