Rethinking Inclusion

We are supporting schools to take a step back, rethink, re-evaluate and re-imagine their approaches to inclusion. We all know something has got to change!

Why do we need to rethink inclusion?

Cohorts are changing and we need to rethink our practices to ensure that as schools, we are approaching learners’ education with the skills, knowledge and expertise needed to fully support every learner. Evolving perspectives and practices will also support schools in developing a self-improving system for inclusion.

Our current approach is neither sustainable nor desirable. It is not enabling our most vulnerable children and young people to thrive and achieve. Placing learners into homogeneous groups which suggest similar characteristics and behaviours is not nuanced enough and is not effective. This current practice leads to silo working where we work separately for some learners rather than together for all learners.

The challenge

Across Surrey SEND figures continue to rise above the national average (Jan 25 census):

	National	Surrey
Overall	19.5%	20.6%
EHCP	5.3%	5.9%
SEN Support	14.2%	14.2%

Gaps for disadvantaged learners are consistently higher in Surrey compared to national averages:

Stage	National Gap	Surrey Gap	Difference
EYFS	4.6 months	5.5 months	+0.9 months
End of KS2	10.3 months	12 months	+1.7 months
End of KS4	19.2 months	20.5 months	+1.3 months

Annual Report 2024: Local Authority gaps – Education Policy Institute

It is also important to note that the number of EAL pupils has been steadily increasing with the proportion of EAL pupils rising from 7.6% in 1997 to 20.5% in 2023 (Source Bell Foundation). Department for Education statistics also show an increase across England and Surrey.

EAL statistics	England	Surrey
2015	18%	11.5%
2024	20.8%	14.9%

Our school communities are becoming more complex and more diverse in their nature. We need to approach inclusion differently, not just to make a difference to the lives of children and young people but also to our school communities. Together we can change.

What do we mean by inclusion?

At Schools Alliance for Excellence, we believe that inclusion is where every individual in the school community is valued for their unique skills, experiences, and perspectives. Inclusion enables all individuals to effectively communicate and work together to create a thriving school community where everyone can succeed and progress. 

Our offer and commitment to you

We are committed to working alongside schools to drive cultural change, including around leadership, curriculum design and pedagogical approaches.  This is a process not a destination, we are committed to working with schools for the long term to support continuous improvements in inclusive practices.

Key resources and strategies for supporting Rethinking Inclusion: