Lead Inclusion School Update

September 2026

Welcome back! We hope you had a restful break and are looking forward to an exciting year ahead. In September’s edition of the Lead Inclusion School newsletter, you will find:

  • Dates for your diary – Lead Inclusion School Conference, SEND Disney inspired Shooting Stars, Inclusive Health Check Week and School Games Regional Conferences
  • Updates – Monthly networking calls
  • Reminders  - Bupa Live Labs
  • Resources - Supporting PE for Teaching Assistants
  • Opportunities - Alternative Provision Research, CPD Opportunities from nasen

Dates for Your Diary

  • Lead Inclusion School Conference - Monday 21 September, Molineux Stadium at 9:30am – 3:30pm. Registration has now closed.

  • Inclusive Health Check Week - 28 September – 2 October. Access will be available via the School Games website during the week.

  • SEND Disney inspired Shooting Stars - Tuesday 27 October at 3:30 – 4:30pm. Register here.

  • SEND Disney inspired Shooting Stars - Thursday 19 November at 3:30 – 4:30pm. Register here.

  • SEND Disney inspired Shooting Stars - Wednesday 10 February at 3:30 – 4:30pm. Register here.

Lead Inclusion School Conference

We’re looking forward to seeing you all in person for this year’s Lead Inclusion School Conference taking place at the Molineux Stadium in Wolverhampton on Monday 21 September 2026, 9:30am – 3:30pm. A representative from all Lead Inclusion Schools is required to attend this conference.

If you haven’t registered via the booking link, please get in touch with us at [email protected]  as soon as possible as we will need to confirm dietary requirements with the venue.

The agenda and car parking instructions will be sent out via email. If you have any further questions about the day, please get in touch with us at [email protected]

School Games and advocacy networks regional conferences

Lead Inclusion Schools are invited to attend one of the below regional conferences to hear updates and receive training relating to the School Games and Youth Sport Trust advocacy networks. Booking links will be sent out shortly, but for now please save the date for your nearest event. Please note attendance at one of the conferences is mandatory for School Games Organisers, however attendance is optional for Lead Inclusion School representatives.

17 November - Regional Conference (Manchester)
24 November - Regional Conference (Bedford)
26 November - Regional Conference (London)
01 December - Regional Conference (Exeter)
02 December - Regional Conference (Worcester)
03 December - Regional Conference (York)

Booking links and further information will be sent to you by email next week.

Updates

SEND Disney Inspired Shooting Stars 

We’re pleased to be able to confirm that SEND Disney inspired Shooting Stars will be running again this year. This is an inclusive, extra-curricular programme designed to motivate primary school pupils with SEND to develop their physical literacy. Created by The FA, the training integrates movement with storytelling to enhance agility, balance and coordination, while fostering confidence and positive self-image.

Bring Marvel magic to your extra-curricular activities with exciting, adaptable missions that inspire pupils to get active and have fun!

SEND Disney inspired Shooting Stars
Tuesday 27 October 3:30 – 4:30 pm. You can register here.

SEND Disney inspired Shooting Stars
Thursday 19 November 3:30 – 4:30pm. You can register here.

SEND Disney inspired Shooting Stars
Wednesday 10 February 3:30 – 4:30pm. You can register here.

Please signpost this training to those within your network. Every county must ensure at least one practitioner within the county has attended one of the virtual training sessions.

Inclusive Health Check Week

During the week of Monday 28 September to Friday 2 October, we are encouraging Lead Inclusion Schools, School Games Organisers, and schools to complete the School Games Inclusive Health Check. This simple self-assessment helps schools understand how inclusion is being embedded across their sport and physical activity provision and identify areas for development. 

As a Lead Inclusion School, please work with your SGO to champion the health check and encourage schools in your network to take part. Resources and support will be available throughout the week to help schools get the most from the tool.

Last year, an incredible 9,072 schools completed the health check. Let's build on this success and continue strengthening inclusive practice together.

Networking Calls

We will be pausing the monthly networking calls this year. Support will continue to be available from your Development Coach, the Teams networking Channel and via the SEND inbox. 

Reminders

Bupa Live Labs

A polite reminder to please let us know the date of your Bupa Live Lab if you have not already submitted it. All Live Labs must be delivered by Thursday 1 October and should be attended by at least 20 practitioners. If fewer than 20 practitioners have attended your Live Lab so far, please let us know when further training will be taking place to reach 20 practitioners. 

A reminder that after the Live Labs take place, practitioners who attended the Live Lab need to set up a club for at least four weeks in their own school. We will start sending out the club survey to practitioners from October, to understand the impact of the club and how many young people have been reached through the programme. 

To confirm your Live Lab date or ask any questions, please email [email protected].

Resources

Supporting PE for Teaching Assistants

This short course is designed to improve confidence in supporting the delivery of inclusive PE and to help support staff create outstanding experiences for every pupil regardless of their abilities. This course contains 14 topics and should take no more than one hour to complete. Suitable for teaching assistants and support staff.

The course can be accessed here for free using the code tainclusion2028. Please promote this resource to practitioners in your network to ensure as many practitioners benefit as possible.

Opportunities 

Alternative Provision Research

We would be grateful if you could share the opportunity below with colleagues and organisations in your networks who work with Alternative Provision settings across England.

Together with researchers from Leeds Beckett University and Loughborough University, we are exploring the different PE curricula currently being used across Alternative Provision contexts in England.

We are keen to hear from practitioners who deliver, or oversee the delivery of, PE and/or sport in Alternative Provision. The short survey takes approximately 10 minutes to complete and will help build a clearer picture of current practice and provision.

Complete the survey here:

Participants will also have the opportunity to submit a copy of their PE curriculum, where one is available, so it can be compared with provision in similar settings. Everyone who completes the survey will be entered into a draw to win £100 in vouchers.

The findings will help strengthen understanding of PE and sport delivery within Alternative Provision and inform future development.

CPD opportunities from nasen

nasen are offering a variety of CPD during the autumn term. These opportunities are suitable for teachers and teaching assistants. Most of these are free.

A full list of what’s available can be found here.

All Newsletters

Catch up on the other Inclusion Lead School Newsletters.

Inclusion Newsletters