Leading Specialist Spaces in Mainstream: Inclusion bases and Ofsted
- Online
- 12 Nov 2026 (15:30 - 17:00)
Does your Inclusion Base align with the DfE’s new guidance, and will it satisfy Ofsted?
Mainstream settings face a clear directive. Whether your Inclusion base is a fully resourced specialist space or used for short-term interventions, it must serve as dynamic engine for whole-school inclusion.
Leaders should expect to be challenged on the fundamental intent of the Inclusion base: the curriculum ambition, the quality of teaching and learning, the outcomes secured, and whether practices support Inclusion.
Join us for an essential, practice-focussed webinar where we unpack the DfE’s 6 Principles of Effective Practice and map them directly against Ofsted’s evaluation criteria.
This session is essential for MAT Directors of Inclusion, Headteachers, SENCOs, and Inclusion Base teachers who want to move from seeing their base as a separate sanctuary to establishing an ambitious, teacher-led centre of expertise that elevates practice across the entire school.
We will explore:
- How to articulate a clear, defensible intent for your base, positioning it as a dynamic, whole-school centre of expertise.
- High-ambition curriculum design and pedagogical adaptations that remove learning barriers without lowering expectations and minimising gaps between base and mainstream learning.
- The evidence narrative Ofsted inspectors look for - from measuring small-step academic and SEMH progress to proving that pupil placements remain fluid, targeted, and free from unnecessary siloing.
Online
Suitable for: SENCO, Teacher, Senior Leader, Assistant Head Teacher, Deputy Head Teacher, Head Teacher, Inclusion Manager/Leader
Meet your trainer
Matt McArthur
Matt McArthur is the Assistant Headteacher at Frank Wise School in Banbury, a special school for children and young adults aged between 2 and 19. Matt currently teaches in both primary and secondary classes, and is the subject-leader for Numeracy. He was Director of Teaching School at the school for five years, and continues to support the Oxfordshire Teaching School Hub with SEND-specific strands of Continuing Professional Development, School-to-School support and Initial Teacher Training. Matt enjoys cooking, keeping fit and reading, and is a committed life-long learner. He has just finished a Masters degree in Educational Leadership, and is currently doing his NPQH.
