The inclusion strategy: what you must publish by 31 December 2026
Edroom · Explainer · Evidence unless marked "Our take"
If your school gets the Inclusive Mainstream Fund (IMF), you have to publish an inclusion strategy on your website this term. Here's what's required, where the requirement comes from, and what it isn't.
The requirement
DfE's conditions of grant say: "All individual schools are required to publish an inclusion strategy statement for the academic year 2026 to 2027 and must do so by 31 December 2026. This must include detail of activities invested in to alleviate barriers to learning and participation and budgeted costs." DfE conditions of grant
The guidance for leaders puts it this way: "publishing an inclusion strategy on your school website by 31 December 2026". DfE guidance
It's not a one-off. "Schools are required to publish an updated inclusion strategy statement annually." DfE conditions of grant
Who it covers
The IMF funds "mainstream school providers, for the 5 to 16-year-old age range, including reception year groups". That includes primary, secondary, middle and all-through maintained schools and academies. DfE conditions of grant
Trusts: each academy publishes its own statement. Trusts can pool IMF money across academies, but "a separate inclusion strategy statement must be published for each academy within a MAT". DfE conditions of grant
Grant condition, not law
The deadline is a condition of grant. It isn't a statutory duty yet. DfE's guidance says: "We have proposed placing a legal duty on schools to produce an inclusion strategy". DfE guidance
Grant conditions still have teeth. "DfE will review a sample of schools' published strategy statements to ensure that the IMF has been spent in line with these conditions of grant." DfE conditions of grant
What goes in it
The guidance asks you to invest your IMF allocation "in line with the 7 principles of inclusion". Your published strategy must include the activity you've funded to tackle barriers to learning and participation, with budgeted costs. DfE guidance
DfE provides a template. It says: "Schools can use this template to help them develop their inclusion strategy, which must be published on their school website by 31 December every academic year." The template opens with a strategy overview table. DfE template
Why it matters beyond the grant
Inclusion is one of Ofsted's graded evaluation areas for schools. Ofsted consultation outcome
Checklist before 31 December
- Confirm you get the IMF. Check against the eligibility list.
- Download DfE's template. It's here.
- Cover the required content. List your funded activities and their budgeted costs.
- Trusts: publish one statement per academy.
- Put it on your website by 31 December 2026, and plan for the annual update.
Opinion
Our take: Treat this as more than a compliance form. A strategy that names real barriers, costs the response honestly and says how you'll know it worked will serve you well when DfE samples statements, and gives you a solid starting point if the proposed legal duty arrives.