Writing Your Inclusion Strategy: Making the Inclusive Mainstream Fund Work

You’ll leave with a clear plan, practical examples, and the confidence to write a strategy that’s embedded in practice For SENCOs, Inclusion Leads and senior leaders. The deadline is coming: every mainstream school must publish an Inclusion Strategy by 31 December 2026, setting out how the Inclusive Mainstream Fund (IMF) and notional SEN budget will remove barriers to learning. For many SENCOs, this lands on top of an already full workload, with little clarity on what 'good' looks like. This practical session will help you move from a blank page to a strategy you can be proud to publish. We’ll explore: • What the DfE expects: the requirements, the template, and the 7 principles of inclusion your approaches need to sit within • Building a strong universal offer: making sure your strategy strengthens everyday classroom practice and doesn’t just list interventions • Spending the IMF well: choosing evidence-informed approaches that fit your cohort’s needs • Measuring impact: setting outcomes you can actually evidence to governors, parents and Ofsted • Making it a whole-school document: how to get leaders, staff and governors involved so the strategy is shared and isn’t left to the SENCO alone You’ll leave with a clear plan, practical examples and the confidence to write a strategy that’s embedded in practice, not just posted on your website.