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Are you ready to seize the moment for inclusive mainstream education?

by | Oct 31, 2025 | Education and inclusion, Local government transformation

Group of young children sitting at a classroom table working on drawings and assignments, with papers and pencils spread out; a boy in a green shirt and glasses focuses on his work in the foreground.

We’ve been anticipating the release of the Schools White Paper, which promised to set out the next steps in the government’s vision for education. While publication has now been delayed to the New Year to ensure the paper fully reflects the sector’s needs, one thing is clear: local areas can’t afford to wait. The ambition for a more inclusive, future-ready mainstream education system can, and must, start now. 

The Secretary of State For Education’s recent correspondence to the Chair of the Education Select Committee signals a clear direction of travel.  Reform, when it comes, will be built around familiar principles: early, local, fair, effective and shared. Each of those offers a call to action and a significant opportunity for Local Authorities to act, rather than waiting for the next policy announcement. By embedding them now, local systems can move confidently toward inclusion. 

Be ready, be united, be ambitious: 

 The most successful local areas don’t wait for national directives to set their course. They act early, with a shared purpose and a clear plan.  Now is the moment to: 

  • Build a joint ambition across your SEND system – bringing together schools, settings, services and families around a collective vision for inclusive practice. 
  • Focus on inclusive mainstream – ensuring every child can thrive in their local school, and that support is designed around needs rather than thresholds. 
  • Transform for the future – using this time to align strategies, strengthen partnerships and prepare for the policy changes that are coming. 

This isn’t just about responding to change.  It’s about shaping it. The Local Authorities that take the opportunity now will be best placed to deliver on their ambitions when national reform does arrive. 

Your ambition, delivered: 

At IMPOWER, we’re committed to helping local areas turn their ambitions into action.  Our work is about making inclusion real: embedding it in strategy, culture and practice across the system. 

We’ll be at NCASC 2025, continuing the conversation about how local areas can build inclusive, future-ready education systems.  If you’re attending, come and see us to explore how we can help you shape and deliver your ambition.  

When it comes to inclusion, the time to act is now.  Reach out to a member of the Children’s team [email protected] team, or catch us at NCASC to find out how we can support you.