The Mainstream Inclusion project was launched in the summer of 2025, led by Marian Cullen and Emma Stone, both SESLIP associates. The project is part of the South East Sector Led Improvement Programme (SESLIP) which is funded through the DfE Regional Improvement and Innovation Alliance (RIIA) SEND grant, as set out in the SESLIP Regional Improvement Plan 2025–26 and RIIA Grant Delivery Plan (publication version, 18 July. Project No. 20 (Mainstream Inclusion Project) is positioned under the SEND Universal Improvement strand and is intended to support local areas to develop pragmatic, effective and collaborative approaches that increase confidence and knowledge around including children and young people with SEND in mainstream settings. The plan describes a focus on consolidating and building on existing materials by producing a regional inclusion tool for local areas to use as a baseline for assessing and developing practice. It also sets out the use of a regional community of practice as a model for subsequent local area communities, with identified best practice to be shared widely (including through websites and a celebration conference).
This project is being delivered in the context of the Schools White Paper Every child achieving and thriving (Department for Education, published 23 February 2026). The White Paper sets out a long-term direction of travel for the school system that places inclusion at its centre, with an explicit aim to ensure that children who have previously been sidelined are included and supported to achieve and thrive. In relation to SEND, it signals a shift towards stronger and more consistent support in mainstream settings, earlier identification and intervention, and improved access to specialist expertise and multi-agency support without unnecessary escalation to statutory processes.
In this context, Project 20’s focus on a regional inclusion tool and regional/community-of-practice activity supports the White Paper’s emphasis on building mainstream capability through shared standards, practical resources and workforce development, alongside stronger local collaboration between schools, local authorities and wider partners. Feedback from the SE19 SEND Inclusion Summit and the “Supporting Inclusion in Mainstream Settings” survey also reflects the White Paper’s call for improved measurement of inclusion and impact, including outcomes beyond attainment (such as wellbeing and participation), and for clearer accountability and shared responsibility across local systems.