Inclusive Mainstream Fund (IMF) 2026-27: What schools need to know

Supporting inclusion, strengthening provision and improving outcomes for children

What is the Inclusive Mainstream Fund?

The Department for Education’s new Inclusive Mainstream Fund (IMF) is intended to help mainstream schools in England strengthen inclusive practice and improve support for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).

Part of the Government’s wider SEND and Alternative Provision reform agenda, the funding focuses on helping schools build stronger mainstream provision through earlier intervention, inclusive practice and more consistent support for children across a range of needs.

For many schools, the IMF may provide an opportunity to review and strengthen:

  • inclusive practice, belonging and inclusion strategies
  • SEMH provision and targeted intervention
  • social and emotional learning (SEL)
  • adaptive teaching and inclusive classroom practice
  • attendance, engagement and emotional wellbeing support
  • staff awareness, confidence and training
  • graduated response pathways
  • family partnership work
  • impact measurement and evidence

At a time when schools are managing increasingly complex needs alongside significant pressures on staffing, budgets and capacity, many leaders are understandably cautious about how wider SEND reforms will translate into day-to-day reality within schools.

However, there is growing recognition across the sector that mainstream schools need practical, sustainable approaches that support children earlier, reduce barriers to learning and strengthen inclusion in ways that are achievable within real school environments.

Government guidance linked to the Inclusive Mainstream Fund places particular emphasis on:

  • early intervention
  • inclusive mainstream provision
  • evidence-informed practice
  • reducing barriers to learning
  • strengthening whole-school approaches to support
  • improved outcomes for children and young people

As schools begin planning how funding may be used, many are reviewing how they can strengthen inclusive provision not only at whole-school level, but also through targeted SEMH support, emotional literacy, family engagement and clearer ways of evidencing impact and outcomes.

For many schools, the Inclusive Mainstream Fund represents an opportunity to move beyond reactive systems and strengthen earlier, more preventative and relational approaches to inclusion.

Inclusive Mainstream Fund (IMF) at a glance

  • £400 million of additional government funding allocated to mainstream schools in England for 2026-27 as part of wider inclusion investment plans
  • Funding forms part of the wider SEND and Alternative Provision reform agenda, intended to strengthen inclusive mainstream provision
  • Focused on earlier intervention, adaptive teaching, inclusion, attendance and improved outcomes for children and young people
  • Funding may support SEMH provision, targeted intervention, emotional wellbeing, staff development and wider inclusion strategies
  • Final school-level allocations are expected to be confirmed in May 2026, with payments expected from June and July 2026
  • Increasing emphasis on evidence-informed practice, measurable impact and sustainable mainstream provision
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What can schools use Inclusive Mainstream Funding for?

Government guidance indicates that Inclusive Mainstream Funding should support stronger mainstream inclusion and improve outcomes for children and young people with additional needs.

For many schools, the focus is not simply on introducing new initiatives, but on strengthening sustainable provision that can support children earlier and more consistently within mainstream education.

Direct support and provision

  • SEMH and emotional wellbeing provision
  • social and emotional learning (SEL)
  • emotional literacy and self-regulation support
  • nurture and relational approaches
  • support for children at risk of exclusion
  • attendance and engagement support

Systems and implementation

  • belonging and inclusion strategies
  • graduated response provision
  • staff training and development
  • adaptive teaching and inclusive classroom practice
  • family and parent partnership work
  • monitoring, assessment and impact measurement

SEMH and inclusion in mainstream schools

Social, emotional and mental health needs can affect every aspect of a child’s school experience, including relationships, confidence, emotional regulation, attendance and readiness to learn.

Many mainstream schools are seeing increasing numbers of children who require additional support with:

  • emotional literacy
  • anxiety and emotionally based school avoidance
  • self-esteem and confidence
  • friendships and peer relationships
  • behaviour linked to unmet need
  • resilience and coping strategies
  • emotional regulation and self-management

Increasingly, SEMH support is being recognised as an essential part of inclusive mainstream provision rather than something viewed separately from learning, behaviour or SEND support.

Schools are increasingly recognising the importance of approaches that combine:

  • early intervention
  • explicit teaching of social and emotional learning (SEL) skills
  • relational practice
  • targeted support
  • staff awareness, confidence and training
  • family partnership
  • ongoing assessment and review

Evidencing impact and outcomes

As schools strengthen inclusive provision, many are also reviewing how they monitor progress, evaluate impact and demonstrate outcomes over time.

This may include:

  • pupil voice
  • emotional literacy assessment
  • wellbeing measures
  • attendance and engagement
  • intervention outcomes
  • parent/carer feedback
  • staff confidence and implementation consistency

For many schools, the challenge is not only delivering support, but also evidencing the difference that support is making for children.

Clear monitoring processes can help schools:

  • identify areas of need earlier
  • evaluate effectiveness of provision
  • evidence progress over time
  • support strategic decision-making
  • demonstrate the impact of intervention and inclusion approaches

IMF and the wider SEND reform landscape

The Inclusive Mainstream Fund sits within wider national discussions around SEND reform, inclusion and the future role of mainstream schools in supporting increasingly diverse needs.

While many schools remain cautious about how wider reforms will develop in practice, there is increasing recognition across the sector that schools need realistic, sustainable and evidence-informed approaches that strengthen support for children within everyday school environments.

Further support and resources

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