Research School Network: The risks and rewards of implementing Inclusive Teaching Explore the risks and rewards of implementing inclusive teaching and how schools can make meaningful, lasting change.

Recent conversations with school leaders suggest a growing appetite to understand how our schools might truly become ​‘inclusive by design’.

Inclusive by design is not a new concept. It featured prominently throughout the EEF SEND guidance report (2020). However, many schools are working towards realising its full potential.

The opportunity is significant, but there is also risk: if schools reduce implementation to a checklist of visible practices, they may increase workload without improving participation or learning.

Inclusive teaching

The recent release of the EEF Guide to Inclusive Teaching appears to be moving the conversation forward. Leaders are beginning to recognise that ​‘inclusive by design’ is not simply a set of policies or programmes – it is also a lens through which schools can examine everyday practice.

The EEF Guide to Inclusive Teaching distinguishes between the ​‘universal approaches’ that should be part of everyday practice and the ​‘adaptations and additional support’ we might also need to consider. This helps clarify that being ​‘inclusive by design’ is about understanding and improving what we do every day to support all children to participate and succeed in school, including disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND.

The risks of a rushed implementation

Despite this positive momentum, myths about inclusive teaching persist, including the idea that inclusive teaching is about the teacher doing more work. This poses a risk if implementation does not address these myths directly.

When implementation is led by the needs of leaders, it can result in policies that focus only on visible signs of compliance and professional development that omits many of the mechanisms required for effective training. This may leave teachers without the knowledge, understanding and support they need to change their practice. It may also fail to engage with existing beliefs, attitudes, myths and misunderstandings. Once the initial attention fades, old habits can re-emerge and the change may not be sustained.

This risk is even more pressing if inclusive teaching is understood as both a set of practices and, importantly, as a lens through which teachers interpret pupils’ participation and learning. If implementation prioritises visible outcomes while ignoring attitudes and beliefs, an essential part of the change will be lost.

Focusing implementation on improving learning

We must engage with pupils, parents and teachers to understand their needs, beliefs, attitudes and experiences. We must also examine current practice, draw on relevant evidence, identify barriers and enablers and agree what needs to change to support teachers to do their job more effectively.

Ultimately, inclusive teaching will not be achieved through visible compliance, but through careful implementation that keeps teachers’ focus on the decisions that enable every pupil to participate, learn and succeed.

Sources

Education Endowment Foundation (2026) The EEF guide to inclusive teaching. Available at: https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/education-evidence/inclusive-teaching).

Collin, J. and Quigley, A. (2021) Teacher feedback to improve pupil learning. London: Education Endowment Foundation.

Sharples, J., Eaton, J. and Boughelaf, J. (2024) A school’s guide to implementation. London: Education Endowment Foundation.

Sharples, J., Albers, B. and Fraser, S. (2018) Putting evidence to work: A school’s guide to implementation. London: Education Endowment Foundation.

Collin, J. and Smith, E. (2021) Effective professional development. London: Education Endowment Foundation.