Making your Inclusion Strategy count: Using the IMF to Strengthen Teaching for all

By 31 December 2026, mainstream schools in England receiving the Inclusive Mainstream Fund must publish an Inclusion Strategy Statement. But what should this strategy include, and how can schools make it a plan that delivers long-term value and benefits the greatest number of learners? Join the teams from Evidence Based Education and Newcastle Research School for a practical one-hour webinar exploring this new strategy requirement. We will look at what an Inclusion Strategy Statement is, what schools are expected to include in it, and how it connects to the seven principles of inclusion set out by the Department for Education. We'll also focus on one of the most powerful ways schools can use the Inclusive Mainstream Fund: sustained, evidence-informed professional learning that strengthens high-quality, adaptive teaching. The DfE explicitly identifies professional development focused on improving classroom teaching as an appropriate use of the fund, so we'll look at how schools can connect their pupils' needs and barriers to learning to high quality professional learning, and how they can make that case clearly and defensibly within their strategy. Participants will leave with: a clear understanding of the Inclusion Strategy Statement requirements; practical steps to develop their Inclusion Strategy Statement; a clear rationale for investing in building teaching expertise; and examples of how professional learning can form part of a balanced, evidence-informed inclusion strategy. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Resources: Inclusion Strategy Statement Template https://itl.ink/6c18f28a Newcastle Research School's blog on EEF Guide to Inclusive Teaching https://researchschool.org.uk/newcast... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction and welcome 03:30 Making your inclusion strategy count 08:16 Inclusion strategy statements: What schools need to know 11:30 The seven principles of inclusion 15:45 Aligning inclusion with school improvement priorities 17:54 Identifying barriers to learning through evidence 22:25 Evidence-informed strategies and universal provision 24:09 Common misconceptions about inclusive teaching 26:36 Understanding barriers to learning differently 29:29 Why teacher professional learning matters for inclusion 34:00 Inclusive teaching is great teaching 36:04 Practical examples of inclusive classroom practice 39:41 Using feedback to support all learners 43:44 Developing inclusive teaching with the Great Teaching Toolkit 46:13 Practical techniques and tools for teachers 52:03 Key takeaways: Building an effective inclusion strategy 53:30 Q&A