Teaching for All: Growing Inclusive Confidence Across Schools
For the second time this week, I’ve opened an email from a parent desperate for support for their child with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). One parent spoke of their child’s growing frustration, eager to be active but repeatedly side-lined in PE lessons for being perceived as ‘unsafe’ or ‘too difficult’ to include. Another shared how their son with autism and ADHD, after years of feeling excluded at school, finally found belonging through competitive karting in the community - a passion entirely unsupported by his school experience.
Each year, we are seeing a sharp rise in the number of young people diagnosed with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). In England alone, there are now over 1.7 million pupils with SEND, which is a significant increase of 5.6% since 2024. Yet despite this growth, the support systems aren’t keeping pace. A staggering 14.2% of these pupils still don’t have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), and funding for schools isn’t rising at the same pace. As a result, many children are left without the vital support they need to thrive in education.
A recent Teacher Tapp survey revealed that 4 in 5 teachers want more guidance on how to support pupils with SEND, especially around social, emotional, and mental health needs. But right now, teacher training doesn’t match the demand. Trainee teachers spend very limited time studying physical education (PE), and there’s no requirement for training in inclusive PE. At the secondary level, it’s even less consistent as training providers can choose whether to include SEND-specific content or not.
Imagine being handed a violin and asked to perform in a string quartet when the only instrument you’ve ever played is the piano. You understand music, sure. You know tempo, rhythm, maybe even how to read sheet music. But suddenly, you're holding a bow instead of pressing keys, navigating an entirely different technique. It's still music, but everything feels unfamiliar, awkward, and a bit overwhelming.
Now picture a newly qualified teacher stepping into a classroom of 30 pupils, some with SEND and some without, yet with no real training in inclusive teaching strategies. Just like the musician, they grasp the basics of education, but adapting PE lessons to meet diverse needs without the right preparation or support is a daunting task. Many end up learning on the job, doing their best to include every child while lacking the tools to do so confidently. And with increasing demands on teachers, finding time for additional training often feels impossible. This isn’t a criticism of teachers, in fact, it highlights the need to better support them. It’s a recognition that without the right training, time, and resources, even the most dedicated educators can feel unprepared. We must invest in systems that support them as they work to include every child.
But we can’t ignore the reality: only 1 in 4 young people with SEND regularly participate in physical education and school sport. If we’re serious about changing that, we must invest in the people who make inclusion possible: our educators.
Inclusive teaching starts with confident educators.
A Step Forward: Inclusion 2028
To help bridge this gap, the Department for Education is funding Inclusion 2028, a national initiative led by the Youth Sport Trust and partners. The goal? To build confidence, competence, and capacity for inclusive PE across schools in England.
Together with education professionals, the Inclusion 2028 consortium has developed a set of practical, flexible, and free-to-access resources, including:
A self-assessment platform for schools to evaluate their inclusive practices. It provides personalised recommendations and resources to support inclusion development.
Online training modules that help educators understand how to create an inclusive PE environment. (Access code: ipeinclusion2028)
Four bitesize modules designed for teaching assistants and wider school staff to build confidence in delivering inclusive PE. (Access code: tainclusion2028)
A digital toolkit packed with inclusive activity cards and video demonstrations, giving schools ready-to-use ideas and strategies for inclusive PE. (Access code: YSTINCLUSION52)
The resources have been co-designed with education practitioners to ensure the content is both relevant and relatable to those currently working in schools. They offer the flexibility to be completed in bitesize chunks, making it easier for educators to fit training around their daily schedules. A full suite of resources can be found here.
Where can you find local support?
Every county also has a Lead Inclusion School - a champion for inclusive practice. These schools offer local opportunities for pupils to take part in inclusive activities and provide in-person CPD (Continuing Professional Development) for staff.
Want to find your local Lead Inclusion School? Contact the Youth Sport Trust Inclusion Team at [email protected].