Inclusion in schools is too often seen as a separate objective, something that’s done “over there” with children whose needs have already been identified or even escalated: those with a formal diagnosis or recognised vulnerability.

But true inclusion extends far beyond this reactive approach. It means creating a school environment that is supported to meet not just the predictable needs but also the invisible needs that so many children carry.

Take the story of Malcolm. In Year 9, Malcolm’s behaviour deteriorated, leading to repeated sanctions and time out of class. Across the whole year group, he had the highest number of behaviour points.

Unknown to staff, Malcolm was simultaneously navigating the deeply distressing process of disclosing historic abuse. Without this context, his behaviour was not understood.

It wasn’t until Year 10, when what had been happening to Malcolm came to light, that the school’s response shifted. But by then crucial learning had been lost, and rebuilding trust and stability was far harder.

Genuine inclusion in schools

The invisible nature of Malcolm’s experience is not uncommon. It is a desperately sad fact of daily school life that many children’s learning, wellbeing and safety needs will be unknown until they escalate to crisis point.

But, to date, school leaders have not been supported, let alone incentivised, to embed truly inclusive systems - systems where a wider range of predictable needs are supported as part of “business as usual”.

We need only look to the rising numbers of children struggling in our schools. Persistent absence is increasing. Exclusions have hit record highs. Education charity The Difference found that in just one year more than 34 million days of learning were lost to suspensions and unauthorised absence.

The solution lies not only in specialist intervention but also in ensuring that inclusive practice is the norm and built into what every child experiences, every day.

That means all staff, not just the Sendco, designated safeguarding lead or inclusion lead, having the tools, training and systems to embed inclusive practices in their interactions with all children.

The Department for Education has the perfect opportunity to set out such a vision in the forthcoming White Paper - a vision that would genuinely transform the life chances of so many young people.
Fortunately, we are not starting from scratch. Schools across the country are already showing what this looks like in practice.

At Lift, one of our schools, Greenwood Academy, has seen a significant decline in suspensions and permanent exclusions, with no exclusions in the past academic year and suspensions falling to 64 from 241 in 2023-4.

A blueprint for change

This marked change is due to a cultural shift on inclusion within the school, focusing closely on empathy and student voice. The school has launched a series of initiatives to ensure that all students feel seen, valued and heard. Central to this has been a commitment to restorative practices, which staff have had training on.

The school has extended its pastoral team, modified rewards for positive behaviour and values, focused on developing character education and provided trauma-informed training to all staff.

Weekly meetings are conducted to discuss students holistically to ensure that appropriate support has been put into place.

The results, as seen above, have been significant. The school recognises that inclusion is not a one-time fix, rather an ongoing commitment. Greenwood, against the national picture, offers a hopeful blueprint for others.

If this had been the case at Malcom’s school, his story may have unfolded very differently. Maybe he could have received the right support far earlier and felt safe, focused on learning, formed lasting friendships and truly thrived.

Yet too often schools are working against the grain of the system, rather than with it. The upcoming White Paper presents a crucial opportunity for the DfE to change that, starting with a clearer, broader vision of what inclusion truly means.

Because inclusion isn’t just a set of interventions triggered when things go wrong. It’s a proactive, whole-school approach, where every child is known, supported and given the chance to thrive.

Phil Humphreys is director of education at Lift Schools, and Kiran Gill is CEO of education charity The Difference

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