Inclusion Bases
As schools begin implementing the Department for Education's Inclusion Bases in Schools guidance, sport, play and physical activity can play an important role in helping pupils feel safe, connected and ready to learn.
This resource brings together practical examples, case studies and evidence to show how movement can support inclusion, self-regulation, wellbeing and engagement. Whether you are establishing a new Inclusion Base or strengthening existing provision, you'll find ideas you can apply within your own school.
What's included?
This resource includes practical guidance to help you embed physical activity within your Inclusion Base.
- An overview of the Department for Education's Inclusion Bases guidance
- Practical examples from schools across England
- Three downloadable case studies
- Top tips for embedding movement throughout the school day
- Links to additional Youth Sport Trust resources
Everything you need to start using sport, play and physical activity to strengthen inclusion and support every pupil to thrive.
How to use
This resource is suitable for school leaders, SENDCOs, inclusion leads, pastoral teams, behaviour and attendance leads, Trust leaders, and PE leads.
Use these three simple steps to explore the guidance and identify opportunities within your own setting.
Simply follow these steps to get started:
1. Understand the guidance
Explore the Department for Education's Inclusion Bases guidance and consider how it aligns with your school's current approach.
2. Reflect on your provision
Review how physical activity currently supports regulation, wellbeing, attendance, relationships and engagement in learning.
3. Put ideas into practice
Use the case studies and practical examples to identify movement-based approaches that could strengthen your Inclusion Base.
Why it works
Physical activity is much more than exercise. Used intentionally, it can help pupils regulate emotions, build positive relationships, improve engagement and feel a stronger sense of belonging within school.
To explore this in practice, the Youth Sport Trust worked with three schools across England to understand how movement can support pupils attending Inclusion Bases.
The case studies demonstrate practical approaches that improved engagement, readiness to learn and participation while helping pupils remain connected to mainstream school life. They provide transferable learning that schools can adapt to suit their own context.
Download the three Inclusion Base case studies and explore the accompanying guidance to support your own provision.
The Department for Education identifies six principles of effective Inclusion Bases, including supporting inclusion, curriculum design, leadership, partnership working and inclusive environments.
Across all three case studies, physical activity contributes directly to these principles by helping schools improve engagement, develop self-regulation, strengthen relationships and increase readiness for learning.
