IncludEd 2026
Saturday 10th January 2026 at the Institute of Education, UCL.
How do we build inclusive schools?
As Ofsted changes their definition of Inclusion, The Difference brings together over a thousand school leaders, academics and experts who are already defining effective inclusive practice.
What to expect
Practical professional development: Strategies to strengthen your school, LA or MAT’s approach to inclusion and early support
Policy insights: Sector leaders spanning Ofsted, DfE RISE teams, DfE special needs review, academics and researchers from Policy First, ImpactED and #BeeWell.
National networking: Connect with peers across mainstream, AP, special, MATs and LAs.
Headline speakers
Anna Maxwell Martin – Actor & campaigner (Motherland, Line of Duty).
Professor Carlene Firmin – Pioneer of Contextual Safeguarding.
Tom Rees – Government SEND Tsar.
Kiran Gill – CEO of The Difference.
Alongside young people with lived experience of lost learning.
There is no other conference, solely dedicated to inclusion, that brings together a committed and dedicated following in the way that IncludEd does. Our audience is a unique blend of educators from primary and secondary, Alternative Provision and Mainstream, Senior and Middle leaders, and all so committed they would give up a Saturday in January.
Agenda:
Inclusion beyond meeting special needs: Ofsted inclusion advisor Mark Vickers in discussion with MAT leader Jonny Uttley, DfE SEN Tsar Christine Lenehan and ASCL General Secretary Pepe Di’Iasio.
Contextual safeguarding in inclusive schools: Keynote from Professor Carlene Firmin (University of Durham).
Online conspiracy thinking in schools, behaviour policy responses: Professor Sally Burtonshaw (Policy First) alongside school leaders from mainstream, special and AP.
Barriers to wellbeing, capturing belonging: Professor John Jerrim (UCL/ImpactED) & Professor Neil Humphreys (University of Manchester / #BeeWell).
Improving attendance: DfE RISE adviser on inclusion Matt Jones alongside school leader Craig Patterson (Two Counties Trust).
Setting up internal Alternative Provision: Jamie Rogers, co-author of The Difference’s internal alternative provision report, in workshop with leaders on their differing models of in-school support.
Inclusive Leadership in challenging contexts: MAT leader Dave Whitaker in conversation with senior leaders across mainstream and alternative provision on their biggest career challenges leading inclusive schools.
Identifying children with historic social care interaction: Pupil Pathways, VRU leader Adela Kay and school leader Rebekah Chew.
Relational adults, trusted adults, support staff: Terry Grego, Football Beyond Borders.
Reintegration from absence & suspension: Amelie Thompson, Gerry Robinson, Marius Frank.
Measurement across MATs: MAT senior leaders on using data to change the inclusion picture across groups of schools.
Inclusive strategy across a local area: Anthony Benedict (Ambition Community Trust) and Greater Manchester Combined Authority.
Inclusion for All: The organisations building a shared national definition of inclusion.