The Inclusive Mainstream Fund (IMF) gives eligible mainstream schools funding for inclusion activity in 2026 to 2027. The immediate operational deadline is 31 December 2026, when schools are expected to publish an inclusion strategy statement explaining the activity funded and the budgeted costs.
This is not a request for a glossy vision document. The strategy should show that the school understands its cohort, has chosen activity for a reason and can explain how leaders will check whether the work is helping pupils.
What is the Inclusive Mainstream Fund?
The Department for Education (DfE) describes the IMF as support for mainstream schools during the transition towards a reformed education system. The best-practice guidance for schools says the fund should help schools understand the needs of their cohort and plan whole-school approaches that remove common and predictable barriers to learning.
The guidance sets out seven principles of inclusion:
- ambitious leadership and governance;
- evidence-based support and early intervention;
- high-quality adaptive teaching and curriculum design;
- enriching provision beyond the classroom;
- a safe and respectful culture that supports belonging, attendance and participation;
- strong partnerships with families and wider services;
- inclusive environments with ongoing accessibility improvement.
The fund can also support targeted evidence-informed provision for pupils whose needs cannot be met through the universal offer alone. The conditions of grant for 2026 to 2027 set out the formal conditions. Schools should use those conditions alongside local authority and trust instructions.
The IMF is separate from the proposed local SEND inclusion formula for mainstream schools. Do not merge the two in a governor paper or public statement. They have different status, funding routes and conditions.
What must the inclusion strategy show?
The school’s statement should be concise but specific. A reader should be able to see:
- what the school understands about its cohort;
- which barriers or needs it has prioritised;
- what activity the IMF will fund;
- how the activity supports the seven principles;
- the budgeted cost and funding source;
- who is responsible for implementation;
- how leaders will review progress and decide what happens next.
The DfE’s guide to developing an inclusion strategy explains that schools will need to publish a statement by the end of December 2026. The document should be written for families, staff and the wider school community, not only for the finance team.
What counts as useful evidence of need?
Do not start with a list of attractive projects. Start with the barriers the school can see in its own information.
Useful evidence might include:
- patterns in attendance, punctuality or participation;
- the types of support requested by teachers;
- review decisions from SEN support plans;
- the number and type of specialist recommendations;
- recurring barriers in transitions, communication or access to the curriculum;
- pupil and family views;
- gaps in staff confidence or access to specialist advice;
- the difference between universal provision and targeted support.
No single data point should decide the strategy. A rise in attendance difficulty may reflect transport, anxiety, curriculum access, family circumstances or a combination of factors. Use the evidence to ask a better question, not to label a pupil or cohort too quickly.
The September SEND baseline guide gives a practical way to gather this information without waiting for a new reporting system.
How should schools choose funded activity?
A strong strategy connects the activity to a barrier and a review decision.
Example: adaptive teaching
If staff report that pupils miss instructions during practical work, the activity might include professional development, shared classroom routines and a review of how pupils access instructions. The strategy should say what leaders expect to see change, such as improved task starts or fewer repeated explanations.
Example: specialist access
If teachers wait too long for advice or receive reports without a clear classroom handover, the activity might improve the route for consultation, coaching or outreach. The school should record who will coordinate the request, how advice will reach staff and how the implementation will be reviewed.
This connects naturally with Experts at Hand, but the IMF strategy must describe the school’s funded activity, not claim that a local service will provide something that has not been confirmed.
Example: targeted support
If a group of pupils needs support beyond the universal offer, describe the intended intervention, staffing, duration, pupil group and review point. Avoid writing “support will be provided” without naming what will happen.
A provision map can help leaders avoid double-counting. Use the practical provision-map guide to keep the school-wide picture separate from individual pupil plans.
What should the budget record contain?
The published statement does not need to expose personal pupil information. It should still be possible to explain the costs behind each activity.
For each funded line, record:
- the activity;
- the costed period;
- staffing, training, resources or service costs;
- whether the cost is one-off or recurring;
- the person responsible;
- the intended outcome;
- the review date;
- the evidence that will inform the next decision.
Keep IMF expenditure distinct from the notional SEN budget, high needs top-up funding and any other grant. If a resource supports more than one purpose, explain the allocation rather than presenting the whole cost as an IMF outcome.
What should governors ask?
A governor or trustee does not need a list of every pupil to challenge the strategy properly. Ask:
- Why was this barrier prioritised?
- What evidence supports the choice?
- Which pupils or staff will experience the change?
- How will the school know whether the activity was delivered as intended?
- What will change if the evidence is weak?
- Is the activity accessible to families and pupils who need it?
- Does the cost sit under the correct funding condition?
- Which existing process will make the activity sustainable after the grant period?
A strategy that cannot answer those questions is probably a spending list with a few values added afterwards.
How MeritDocs fits this workflow
MeritDocs connects supporting SEND records, current provision, review dates and related documents in one Student Record. That gives leaders a direct route from a published strategy to the working evidence behind it without asking staff to rebuild the picture from separate folders.
The platform does not decide how the IMF should be spent or prove impact on its own. Staff still select the evidence, agree provision and review the outcome. It supports the record that makes those decisions easier to inspect.
Inclusion strategy checklist
Before publishing by 31 December 2026, check that the statement:
- names the school’s priority barriers in plain English;
- distinguishes universal provision from targeted support;
- links activity to one or more of the seven inclusion principles;
- shows budgeted costs and the funding source;
- names an owner and a review point;
- explains how pupil and family views informed the choice;
- avoids personal or identifying pupil information;
- keeps IMF activity separate from other SEND funding;
- says what leaders will do if the evidence does not show improvement.
FAQs
Does every school receive the same IMF amount?
No. The allocation and local implementation arrangements depend on the scheme and the school’s eligibility. Check the grant conditions and local information rather than copying another school’s figures.
Is the inclusion strategy a new SEN policy?
No. It is a statement about how the school will use the IMF and develop inclusion. It should connect with existing SEND, teaching and accessibility work without duplicating every policy.
Does the IMF replace the school’s existing SEND duties?
No. The grant sits alongside existing duties and funding. The school remains responsible for appropriate support, family involvement and review under the current framework.
What is the most useful first step?
Build a clear baseline of cohort need, current provision, cost pressures and review evidence. Then choose activity that responds to what the school can see.
Status note: Published 5 May 2026. This article distinguishes current requirements from proposals, consultations, announced funding or inspection changes. A proposal or announcement does not create a new statutory duty until the relevant legislation, regulations or official guidance is in force. Check the linked official sources below for the confirmed implementation date and current position.