Inclusion in the DNA: Practical Lessons for Schools Shaping Their Inclusion Strategy

With every mainstream school preparing its inclusion strategy, many leaders are asking the same question: what does genuinely inclusive practice look like day to day?

In this webinar, Kate Edwards, Senior Vice Principal for Quality of Education at MEA Central in Manchester, shares how her school has made inclusion part of everything it does. There is no separate inclusion base and no standalone strategy. Instead, inclusion runs through the school's culture, curriculum, pastoral approach, and teacher development. The approach was recognised as exceptional by Ofsted in July, and the school's pupil premium gap is consistently narrow.

Kate will explore:

• why inclusion has to start with a school's culture and beliefs, and stop being seen as someone else's job

• how disadvantage shows up in the classroom, and how a whole-school response can address it

• why good progress isn't enough, and how high aspiration and a carefully designed curriculum open doors for every pupil

• how an accessible by design framework helps teachers make learning perceivable, understandable, and doable

• how video reflection with IRIS Connect, peer observation, and protected development time keep inclusive practice strong across the staff

• what schools can do to make a shift from policy to culture and build an inclusion strategy that works for every pupil

The session closes with a live Q&A, giving you the chance to put your own questions to Kate.