The Difference Schools Partnership
Launched at IncludEd 2026. Helping schools to realise their inclusion ambitions.
The Difference Schools Partnership is a three-year programme to develop sector-leading inclusion in ten schools across the country. The programme is open to secondary schools in England and is generously funded through a coalition of funders. Applications are now open and will close on 24 February.
The programme supports schools to realise their inclusion ambitions and reduce lost learning through suspensions, absence and repeat room removals. Headteachers and leaders from ten schools will work with The Difference to strengthen internal provision, build whole-school inclusion strategies, and grow staff confidence in supporting pupils with rising needs.
Participating schools will grow sector-leading practice in internal provision and mainstream inclusion, join a national community of leaders, and become a beacon of inclusive practice within their trust or local authority as their approach develops and sets a wider standard.
For more detail, visit the programme page.
Inclusion for All
Making inclusive schools a reality for every child
More children than ever are missing out on the benefits of school through absence, suspensions, exclusions and unmet special educational needs. Last academic year alone, 34 million days of learning were lost. Half of all children suspended from school have special educational needs or are living in poverty. These challenges are deeply connected.
This is not simply a SEND crisis. It is an education crisis.
Inclusion for All calls for inclusion to sit at the heart of school reform, with early support as the foundation of the system. Inclusion is not a separate initiative or specialist function. It is about all children, and all the adults who work with them.
Inclusion is all staff supporting the learning, wellbeing and safety needs of all children, so that they belong, achieve and thrive.
Making inclusive schools a reality means designing from the universal up, leading inclusion from the top, working in partnership with families and communities, and treating inclusion as a measurable, ongoing strategic objective. Developed with young people, families, schools and the third sector, this definition builds on the sector’s existing expertise and ambition.
With the upcoming Schools White Paper, we are calling on government to adopt this operational definition of inclusion and make early support the cornerstone of school reform.
To learn more or support this work, contact: kit@the-difference.com
Learn more about the work we do
At THE DIFFERENCE, we develop PEOPLE, PRACTICE and POLICY to reduce exclusion and absence across England by 2030
PEOPLE: We deliver programmes for school leaders which develop practice expertise and strategic tools that support them to implement a Whole-School approach to Inclusion.
PRACTICE: We capture effective approaches from schools in our programmes and network. We then share and showcase methods proven to improve student outcomes and reduce lost learning.
POLICY: Using insights from our programmes, we inform and shape education policies which improve student outcomes and reduce lost learning.
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