The Difference Schools Partnership

A three-year programme to develop sector-leading inclusion in twelve schools across the country.

Length: 3 years (June 2026 to March 2029)

Cost: this programme is being generously funded through a coalition of funders

Who: Secondary schools in England

Delivery: Hybrid with travel (see more detail in the prospectus)

Through this programme, The Difference will support our partner schools to:

• Realise their inclusion ambitions and reduce lost learning that takes place through suspensions, absence and repeat room removals.
• Develop confidence and a three-year strategy as a senior team via professional development support and practice research from The Difference, worth £50,000 a year and funded by philanthropy.
• Grow sector-leading practice on internal provision and mainstream inclusion.
• Join a national community of leaders through annual conferences, research visits and facilitated peer reviews.
• Become a beacon within their group of schools as their practice develops and sets a standard for your trust or local authority.

For more detail, download The Difference Schools Partnership brochure.

The Difference Schools Partnership are partnering with twelve headteachers and their leadership teams to change the picture in their schools, and support national understanding about the journey to improve inclusion. 

The Difference Schools Partnership offers:

• A three year programme – Coaching, site visits, taught content, a development framework, and a network of peers will develop each school’s capacity to support more pupils to stay in school, and in lessons.
• Measurable change for students – Develop senior team confidence, a thriving Internal Provision which supports (re)integration, and whole-staff relational practices that increase pupil belonging, engagement and success.
• A national way forward – Together, we will work with partner schools to illustrate what effective inclusion leadership looks like, share learning across their group of schools and provide evidence for national change.

Schools will:

• Build a three-year inclusion strategy with an expert Implementation Partner from The Difference
• Improve the quality and impact of internal provision
• Strengthen staff practice and confidence across the whole school
• Improve pupil belonging, engagement and outcomes
• Take part in training, annual conferences, research visits and peer reviews
• Join a network of leaders shaping national understanding of effective inclusion
• Become a beacon school within their trust or local authority

Internal Provision is a broad term describing in-school support for children that acts in place of or alongside the main school. Practice varies from school to school, meaning that internal provision is also known as resourced provision, resource base, student support centre, inclusion hub, internal alternative provision, support hub, and learning support unit. For more information, see the Department for Education’s Explorative Research into In-School Support Units.

The Difference recently published our practice research What Works: Four Tenets of Effective Internal Provision, and this expertise is informing the Department for Education’s forthcoming guidance on SEN Units and Resourced Provision.

Can I still apply for my school to take part?

• The Difference Schools Partnership applications have now closed and our partner schools have been selected. If your school is looking for inclusion support, The Difference delivers Internal Provision Professional Development Days. We also run the Inclusive Leadership Course for senior leaders. As well as looking at effective internal provision, we also cover leadership of whole-school inclusion, strategy, relational practice and safeguarding.

Funding – How does the £50,000 of annual support work?

• The professional development support and practice research that participating schools receive from The Difference is worth up to £50,000 annually. All programme costs are fully funded by philanthropy. Please note that participating schools will not receive any direct funding from The Difference.