Gov UK’s 10-year plan to revitalise schools for every child
11/05/2026
Sensory Cord Bundle
What the 2026 Schools White Paper Means for Your Classroom Spaces
On 23 February 2026, the UK government published Every Child Achieving and Thriving, a Schools White Paper that sets out a ten-year vision for education in England. It's wide-ranging, but one thread runs through almost every chapter: the physical environment of schools matters, and it needs to change,
Inclusion is now a design principle, not an afterthought
Perhaps the most significant shift in the White Paper is the move towards mainstream inclusion as a baseline expectation. Around 1.7 million children in England have SEND: roughly one in five children in schools across the country. The Education Hub The government's position is clear: those children should, wherever possible, be learning alongside their peers in mainstream settings and schools need to be built and equipped to make that possible.
So what actually is an inclusion base?
An inclusion base is a dedicated space in a school that can offer specialist teaching or targeted support for children and young people with additional needs. These bases will be flexible spaces that serve different levels of need. They could be used for small group work such as reading and writing, or for children struggling with a busy school environment. The Education Hub
What this means for schools right now
The legislative changes won't come into force overnight, most SEND reforms aren't expected to be implemented until 2029 at the earliest. But the direction of travel is set, and schools that get ahead of it now will be better placed when the requirements land.
If you're looking at how to start, the most practical first steps are:
Audit your existing spaces - which rooms could realistically become an inclusion base with some refurbishment and reequipping?
Think flexibly - furniture that serves multiple purposes is a smarter investment than single-use pieces
Prioritise sensory consideration — soft seating, reduced noise, visual calm, and easy-to-navigate layouts make a meaningful difference for children with SEND
Don't wait for the build — an inclusion base doesn't need to be a new room; it needs to be the right room
At Eden Learning Spaces, we design furniture and environments built around how children actually learn. If you're thinking about how to create or improve an inclusion base in your school, explore our full range of classroom and sensory seating, or get in touch with the team to talk through what your space needs.