North East Schools Leading the Way on Inclusive Practice
The DfE has published guidance on inclusion bases, as part of the Government’s wider SEND reform programme, and accompanies investment in expanding inclusion bases as part of the national high needs capital programme.
Recognition for North East Schools’ Inclusive Practice
The guidance includes ‘spotlights’ on schools that showcase different approaches to setting up and operating an inclusion base, with both specialist base and support base models are included. Three of the 12 schools selected by the Department for Education to showcase effective practice are from the North East, demonstrating how schools across the region are developing innovative approaches that enable more children and young people with additional needs to thrive in mainstream settings.
Their inclusion as national examples reinforces the sector’s long-standing commitment to sharing best practice and highlights the important contribution North East schools are making to shaping the future of inclusive education across England.
The North East spotlight schools are: Schools North East Partner Schools Kingston Park Primary School in Newcastle and Waterville Primary School in North Tyneside, as well as the King’s Academy in Middlesbrough.
Kingston Park Primary School has an Additional Resourced Provision (ARP) for up to 16 children with complex physical and health needs. The physical environments and approach to the ARP at Kingston Park are a key element in delivering support. The base group does not have a separate learning area, they remain with their mainstream classes, unless working on specific interventions and therapies.
The King’s Academy is a secondary school that operates three integrated specialist bases for vision impairment, hearing impairment, and Cognition and Learning Needs. The latter base supports 60 pupils with significant learning delays, while the former two enable high levels of mainstream access (around 90%) with specialist adaptations, technology and targeted tutorials. The entire model avoids segregation, with curriculum adaptations, specialist teaching and strong pastoral oversight ensuring pupils can access mainstream experiences, qualifications and wider school life.
Finally, Waterville Primary School’s Communication Base provides specialist provision embedded within a mainstream school, supporting 12 pupils with EHC plans whose primary need is speech, language and communication but who can also experience autism or SEMH. Reintegration is central, with the base viewed as an intervention rather than a destination.
Mark Nugent, Head Teacher at Waterville Primary School, said “Our SEND provision has always been a real strength of our school. Serving a community where more than 60% of pupils are in receipt of free school meals, children often enter with a range of needs. Our Additional Resourced Provision (ARP) and newly created SEN unit have helped create a unique approach to inclusive education. Early identification of pupil needs is crucial and staff experience and expertise are vital in this process. As a result our SEND pupils, based in either our mainstream classes or one of our specialist provisions, make good progress and thrive in their school community. As a school it brings a real specialism to our provision.”
What the guidance says
The guidance covers commissioning of bases and the six key principles of effective practice for inclusion bases identified by experts:
- Supporting inclusion in the school or local area
- High-quality curriculum design
- Effective data, assessment and outcomes
- Effective workforce and leadership
- Effective partnership working
- Inclusive and accessible physical environments
The guidance sets out expectations for local authorities and trusts when commissioning specialist and support bases, highlighting the importance of strategic planning based on local need, collaboration between education, health and care partners, and transparent commissioning arrangements.
Schools are encouraged to use inclusion bases as centres of expertise that build wider staff capability through outreach, professional development and shared practice. A series of case studies demonstrates how different models operate across England, illustrating approaches to curriculum design, workforce development, therapeutic support and successful reintegration into mainstream learning.
Further guidance
Alongside the guidance, the DfE has published two further supporting documents:
- Inclusive education estates – guidance on how education settings can adapt buildings and spaces to support greater inclusion and positive learning experiences for all pupils.
- Inclusive mainstream fund: best practice for schools – Sets out ‘best practice’ for schools in using the fund, guidance of developing an inclusion strategy, and an inclusion strategy template.