Inclusion bases

Inclusion bases sit in mainstream settings. "Support Bases", commissioned and funded by individual settings and multi-academy trusts to deliver targeted support. "Specialist Bases", commissioned and funded by the local authority to deliver specialist support.

If you only read one link this week, make it Jim Lauder's.

There's an AI summary at the end of this week's newsletter, but you're only allowed to read it to get in the "mood" of the topic, and if you promise to read Jim.

The White Paper: there are some good bits, but also an approach that isn't going to work for my family

"It is hard to see the government resiling from the inclusion base model, which is likely going to doom the reforms to eventual failure. For them to in any way win parental trust or confidence for now, the proposals need to, at a minimum, be amended to ensure there are enforceable mechanisms of accountability that parents can use to have meaningful input into the new plans that are replacing EHCPs."

By Jim Lauder. jimlauder.substack.com (opens in a new tab)

SEND Reform Reflections, part 1: "Presence vs. Participation"

"For me, inclusion has two main components. The first of these is belonging. Belonging means being within, not peripheral to, the spaces and situation in which you find yourself. The second component of inclusion is that it is a process, the process of becoming increasingly more right for more and more people over time."

By Nicole Dempsey. inco14.wordpress.com (opens in a new tab)

Can inclusion bases provide part of the solution to the SEND crisis?

"The white paper's ambition depends not only on establishing more bases, but also on ensuring they promote meaningful inclusion rather than creating parallel systems within mainstream schools. In around a quarter of schools who said they had an existing base, pupils were reported to have limited interaction or friendships with peers outside the provision."

By Sarah Tang and Matt Walker. nfer.ac.uk (opens in a new tab)

Bonus: Dr Anita Devi on the #ECAT case study on Bases (not included in the AI summary below). LinkedIn (opens in a new tab)

I thought I'd try running the three pieces through my AI (it has my overall context and interest in SEND built in). I've lightly edited it, but I think it's worth looking at how good it is at summarising, given that we're likely to be using AI more and more for drudgery tasks.

I think that it's probably quite useful to quickly get into the "mood" of the topic, before reading the actual articles. Your mileage may vary. Let me know what you think.

AI summary: inclusion bases, solution or segregation?

The SEND White Paper's push for inclusion bases, specialist spaces within mainstream schools, aims to balance inclusion with targeted support. However, the evidence is mixed. While some schools report that bases enhance their capacity to meet diverse needs, others warn of unintended consequences: isolation, under-resourcing, and a two-tier system where pupils in bases have limited interaction with peers or mainstream lessons. Research from NFER reveals that only two-thirds of schools with bases feel they meet all pupils' needs, and a quarter admit pupils in bases have minimal integration with mainstream life. The risk? Bases could become "holding pens" rather than bridges to inclusion, especially if funding and specialist staffing fall short.

Critics argue the reform is cost-driven, not child-centered. EHCPs may be replaced by a weaker, unenforceable plan tied to a local inclusion base, leaving families with no recourse if support fails. Meanwhile, the White Paper's reliance on national standards and "Experts at Hand" assumes schools can suddenly deliver what they've long struggled to provide. The core tension remains: can inclusion bases truly foster belonging, or will they just make segregation more palatable?

The debate hinges on three pillars.

• Resources: without sustained funding and specialist expertise, bases may become overstretched
• Integration: will pupils in bases be fully part of school life, or sidelined?
• Accountability: how can families challenge inadequate support when EHCPs are phased out?