Welcome to April's Lead Inclusion School update. In this month’s edition, you will find:

• Dates for your Diary
• Updates – Welcome back webinar, Lead Inclusion School Virtual Conference, Lead Inclusion School Prospectus 2026/27 
• Opportunities – Young Person Collective, Strategic Lead Awards Nominations, nasen Awards
• Resources – RFU Equipment, Partner Survey QR Code, New School Games Format
• Charity Spotlight – British Down Syndrome Swimming Championships, Variety  

Dates for Your Diary

• April Networking Call (Lunchtime), Tuesday 21 April, 12.00pm. Sign up here
• April Networking Call (Afternoon), Thursday 23 April, 3.30pm. Sign up here
• May Networking Call (Afternoon), Thursday 21 May, 3.30pm. Sign up here
• School Games Organiser Summit, Wednesday 3 June. Sign up here
• Lead Inclusion School Virtual Conference, Thursday 25 June, 9.15am–3.15pm. Sign up here
• National School Sports Week 2026, 6-12 July. Sign up here.
• Youth Sport Trust Conference and Awards Dinner, 23-24 February 2027. More info

Updates

Welcome Back Webinar 

The recording below contains a short webinar outlining the key milestones for the month ahead. Please take a look and let us know if you have any queries. 

Welcome Back Webinar (15 minutes)  

The survey mentioned in the webinar which asks you to outline your festival dates and express interest in the CPD included in Inclusion 2028 can be completed here.   

Lead Inclusion School Virtual Conference  

We’re looking forward to seeing you at our virtual conference which will take place on Thursday 25 June. This needs to be attended by one individual from every Lead Inclusion School.  

You can register here. When booking your place, please also choose two workshops that you would like to attend during the conference.  

Further information about the day will be shared soon.  

Lead Inclusion School Prospectus 2026/27 

The prospectus for the next year, along with an overview recording has been sent out via email. The prospectus can also be found here and you can watch the recording here. 

Please respond to the email to express an interest in the Lead Inclusion School role for 2026/27 by Tuesday 28 April 2026. Upon acceptance, we will share with you the latest terms and conditions and contract amendment to sign. 

If you have any questions, please email [email protected].   

Opportunities 

Recruitment open for the Inclusion 2028 Young Person Collective 

We are looking for four more young people with SEND aged 14-20 years-old to join the Inclusion 2028 Young Person Collective. By sharing their ideas and perspectives on virtual meetings, this group helps to shape what inclusive PE, school sport and physical activity looks like in England. Over the last year the group has: 

• Co-created strength and balance resources with Sport for Confidence
• Featured on Inclusion Live
• Shared their feedback on water safety work 

Young people can apply to take part via this link, which also includes more details about the role.    

Please share this opportunity with any young people you think would be suitable for the role. The closing date for applications is Wednesday 13 May. 

Strategic Lead Awards - Outstanding Inclusive Practice 

The Strategic Lead award nominations are now open and will be open until Friday 22 May. Please do nominate any leads you've been working with this term (there has been some excellent collaborative practice!), or yourself for those of you that are Strategic Leads! We'd like to draw your attention to the award below.

Outstanding Inclusive Practice Award
Nominations for Strategic Leads who have shown outstanding strategic practice in creating inclusive football opportunities for girls with SEND. This includes developing innovative ways to remove barriers to participation, positioning CPD and training to build educator confidence, collaborating effectively with key partners, and using programmes that increase the chances and choices for girls with SEND to take part in football across a range of settings. 

The nomination form can be found here.

Nominate for the nasen Awards

The nasen Awards celebrate inclusion schools that are making a meaningful difference for children and young people with SEND. With a wide range of award categories, there are opportunities to recognise schools where inclusion is embedded, championed and continuously developed.

As your school places inclusion at the heart of its culture – including through inclusive PE, school sport and physical activity – there is likely to be a category that reflects your work. The awards recognise inclusion schools from across mainstream, specialist and alternative provision, celebrating both whole‑school practice and the leaders driving change.

Inclusion schools can nominate themselves or put forward another school whose work deserves national recognition. This is an opportunity to celebrate impact, share effective inclusive practice and raise the profile of inclusion across education.

Explore the nasen Awards categories and submit a nomination.

Leadership Development Programme for PE Leaders from Ethnic Diverse Communities

The Youth Sport Trust is now recruiting for the next cohort of its Leadership Development Programme for PE Leaders who are from an Ethnic Diverse Community. This specialised CPD opportunity is designed to elevate your leadership, amplify your influence and strengthen diversity across the PE profession.

This tailored programme offers:

• Expert-led workshop sessions delivered across the 2026–27 academic year, co-facilitated with equality-focused organisations and educators with lived experience
• A national peer network, offering opportunities to collaborate and share learning with PE leaders from across the country
• Regional and national networking opportunities to strengthen your professional community
• A funded place at the Youth Sport Trust Conference, providing access to sector insights and thought leadership

The programme supports PE leaders, particularly those from ethnically diverse communities, to deepen their leadership practice, influence change and help ensure every young person feels represented and supported through high-quality PE, sport and physical activity.

If you are ready to grow, connect and lead with impact, we would love to receive your application.

Learn more and apply here.

Resources

Good News!  

The Rugby Football Union (RFU) has been working with Pete Ramsey, Lead Inclusion School in Durham, to develop their SEND offer to be inclusive for all young people - great work Pete! See the new resources here.

As a thank you to our network, the RFU team are sending every Lead Inclusion School a free bag of kit and guidance on how to deliver the activities, to provide you with exclusive access in the first wave of their national roll out!

This kit is yours to use as you wish. We would appreciate it if you could let the Development Coach / SEND inbox know if you use the kit and share any feedback, so we can pass this on to the RFU. Alternatively, if you feel the kit would benefit a school you are working with, you are very welcome to ‘gift’ it to support young people with SEND locally or to use it as a reward for a local school.

The kit is due to land within the first two weeks of term to your schools, please keep an eye out for this – it will be in your name. 

Partner Survey – QR code 

Culverhill School have created a printable QR code document that can be cut up into individual cards and handed out to people attending events and festivals so they can quickly access our partner survey. A big thank you to Culverhill for sharing this with us!  

The document can be found here. 

New School Games Football Format 

The School Games has launched a refreshed set of football formats designed to ensure every child and young person, regardless of experience, confidence or ability, can enjoy football. With simple rules, flexible team sizes and a focus on inclusion, these formats offer accessible opportunities for pupils in both mainstream and SEND settings. 

You can find a primary, secondary and SEND format to select from.  

Please promote and share these formats with your local practitioners to embed into their practice. 

Charity Spotlight