17 February 2026

This week has been hard for me, for very personal reasons. I was going to do a bit of an advert about the future of inclusive mainstream practice, and offer to do a demo, with a sample of your existing ordinarily available provision docs.

But I'd rather you read the last piece I've linked to, by Caroline Litman, and then respond to the government consultation, linked above it.

Inclusion has to mean everyone, else it means no one.

Cheers
Jonny Holden

Inclusion

No new leaks from the government this week, which maybe means the White Paper will be published soon.

We'll fail a generation if we say SEND reform is too difficult

"An inclusive system starts from a different premise. It assumes every child may face barriers to learning at different points and asks how we remove barriers to attendance, participation and achievement rather than how we categorise need."

By Tom Rees. schoolsweek.co.uk (opens in a new tab)

Siloed trusts are the elephant in the room on inclusion

"If we are serious about inclusion, we need a framework that defines inclusion locally, with shared expectations, creates collective accountability across all providers, tracks and supports children who disappear from view, enables MATs and LAs to pool capacity, and requires collaboration, not just encourages it."

By James Stewart. schoolsweek.co.uk (opens in a new tab)

SEND cash splash: what does it all add up to, and will ditching debt improve provision?

"As things stand, it's pretty much guaranteed that LAs will have to continue to spend more on high-needs SEND provision than they receive from Whitehall for the next couple of years."

By Matt Keer. specialneedsjungle.com (opens in a new tab)

Noise, worry, and whispers: the government's SEND changes will arrive any day now

"So, these changes still look as drastic and worrying as they ever did. And the prospect of them kicking in circa 2030 raises another big question. Labour is highly likely to not be in power by then."

By John Harris. maybeimamazed.substack.com (opens in a new tab)

Who will defend the SEND kids? Don't fall for callous misdirection

"If, instead, we insist that all children have an inalienable right to an education, we must bring rationality, pragmatism and a renewed sense of shared humanity to ensure that every young person, whatever their differences, receives the support that they need, so they can thrive, grow and realise their potential."

By Stephen Unwin. unherd.com (opens in a new tab)

Statutory guidance: Keeping children safe in education 2026

Government consultation. Launch date 12 February 2026. Respond by 22 April 2026.

Share your views (opens in a new tab)

Keeping children safe in education (as long as they're cis)

"At first Alice's social transition at school was positive. But the toilet situation was not dealt with appropriately."

By Caroline Litman. carolinelitman.com (opens in a new tab)