New 'Inclusive Education Estates' Guidance: What You Need to Know
The Department for Education has published new guidance on designing dedicated teaching and support spaces for children with SEND. It follows the white paper Every Child Achieving and Thriving and builds on the 10-year Education Estates Strategy.
Published: July 7th, 2026
5 min read
Inclusive Education Estates is for anyone planning, managing or delivering mainstream education estates. That means you, your governors, and your delivery partners.
The guidance sets clear expectations for how you design your SEND provision to achieve the vision for a more inclusive mainstream school system, where every child can go to their local school, within their local community
The new guidance sets out:
How to assess inclusivity
10 core elements of inclusive design
Practical adaptations to buildings and outdoor spaces
Case studies you can learn from
Assessing Inclusivity
Start by working out what needs addressing. Then prioritise for impact, and review once you've made changes.
Look beyond physical access. Consider daily routines, the sensory environment, signage, emergency arrangements and personal care too. Build in feedback from pupils, parents and staff — they know your setting best. The Department's proposed Experts at Hand offer may help here as well.
For each adaptation, record the purpose, expected outcome, who delivered it, and when. Note the cost, including time, and the impact on pupils' access and progress. Build this into your annual calendar so reviews stay consistent.
The 10 Core Elements of Inclusive Design
Accessibility and movement
Navigation and wayfinding
Quiet spaces and sensory comfort
Acoustics
Lighting and visual comfort
Ventilation
Thermal comfort
Access to nature
Sanitary provision
Furniture, fittings and equipment
Use these to prioritise sensibly. You don't need the most expensive option, think flexibility, so spaces work for everyone.
Inclusion Bases
Every secondary school will, in time, have an inclusion base. This is a dedicated area for targeted teaching and specialist support.
Bases must be run by a qualified teacher. They must never be used as a sanction, and they should give SEND pupils an adapted, ambitious curriculum; one that bridges into school life, not separates from it.
The early evidence is strong:
80% of parents report a positive experience
In Sheffield, autistic pupils access up to 100% of mainstream lessons, and every pupil who's used a base has moved into education, employment or training
In Nottinghamshire, 80% of SEND pupils with base access achieved strong GCSE passes in maths and English
In Oxfordshire, previously non-attending pupils now average 93% attendance
Every school now needs an inclusion strategy and a base. That means more accountability for you and your governors.
Adapting the Wider Estate
You will also need a roadmap for adapting buildings and outdoor spaces. Think about the lived experience of a child with SEND. "Day in the Life" walkthroughs are a good way to spot barriers, from entrance routes to acoustics, lighting and calm spaces.
Adaptations differ by setting:
Early years – outdoor sightlines, separate noisy and quiet areas, Makaton signage, natural materials, less clutter, sensory gardens.
Primary – lighting diffusers, acoustic panels, speech amplification, repurposed small-group rooms, movement-break spaces, calm corners.
Secondary – widened walkways, colour-coded routes, de-escalation spaces, pastoral 1:1 rooms, quiet dining zones, structured queuing.
Further education – social study lounges, clear safety signage, outdoor wellbeing areas, study booths.
Get this right, and pupils spend more time in mainstream classes. No more patchy provision that leaves children out of lessons, trips and everyday school life.
Ending the "Postcode Lottery"
Families have faced a postcode lottery for years. Fighting for support. Travelling to access it. Waiting years for it to arrive.
This guidance aims to close that gap. Children should be able to attend their local school with confidence they belong there.
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson called it "a clear, practical blueprint to become truly inclusive" calmer classrooms and specialist support built into the school itself. Annamarie Hassall MBE, CEO of the National Association for Special Educational Needs, welcomed it too, calling it a reflection of the strong practice already happening in many schools.
Funding
Early years settings and colleges will soon receive their share of the Inclusive Mainstream Fund: over £500 million this year for adaptive teaching, inclusive whole-school approaches and evidence-based support.
The sector has welcomed this as a first step, but it needs to be the start, not the end. Years of funding pressure means many schools already struggle to access specialist support and training. Sustained investment in staffing, buildings and services will be key.
Practical Steps and Your Legal Duties
This guidance is non-statutory, so you'll need to read it alongside your existing statutory duties, including:
Maintaining your accessibility strategy and plan
Making reasonable adjustments for disabled pupils
Meeting the School Premises (England) Regulations 2012, covering building standards and single-sex spaces
Ensure that you also consider Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) 2026 too, as it includes provisions on single-sex spaces. Ahead of September 2026, check your adaptation plans against it.
What This Means for You
This guidance gives you a practical framework for assessing, prioritising and delivering SEND estate improvements, but it also raises the bar.
You'll need to show a clear inclusion strategy, evidence-based decisions, and a genuine inclusion base in every secondary school over time.
You can read the full guidance here: Inclusive education estates: supporting inclusive environments in mainstream settings.
If you'd like help understanding or implementing these changes, our Education Team is here for you.
For further information please contact Coral Peutrill, Jacob McGrath
