With £1.6 billion being invested to help make mainstream education more inclusive, schools have an opportunity to consider not only how they support pupils with SEND, but how their physical environments can help every child achieve and thrive.

As part of the Government’s wider SEND reforms, the new Inclusive Mainstream Fund (IMF) will provide £1.6 billion over three years from 2026–27 to schools, colleges and early years settings, with more than £500 million being invested each year.

The aim is to enable more children and young people with SEND to have their needs identified and supported earlier within mainstream education.

From SEND provision to inclusive environments

Inclusion isn’t simply about providing additional support when a pupil is struggling. Increasingly, schools are being encouraged to consider how inclusion can be embedded into everyday school life.

The physical environment has an important part to play. Noise, lighting, colour, furniture, movement and visual stimulation can all influence how pupils experience a space. For some neurodivergent learners, an environment that is busy, cluttered or difficult to navigate can create additional barriers to learning.

Thoughtful design can help reduce these barriers. This might include creating clearly defined zones within classrooms, introducing quieter spaces for regulation or focused work, improving acoustics, providing flexible seating choices or simply reducing unnecessary visual stimulation.

Making better use of existing space

Creating more inclusive provision doesn’t necessarily mean building something new. Existing classrooms, underutilised areas, libraries, breakout spaces and intervention rooms can often be reconsidered and adapted to support a wider range of needs.

Schools may also be considering the development of Inclusion Bases – dedicated provision within mainstream settings designed to provide additional support while allowing pupils to remain connected to their wider school community.

The Government is investing separately in capital funding to create tens of thousands of new Inclusion Base places, improve accessibility and increase specialist provision.

Designing inclusion from the start

For schools reviewing their inclusion strategy, now is a good opportunity to look at the estate through a different lens.

Does every pupil have somewhere they can learn, focus, regulate and feel comfortable?

By considering acoustics, sensory stimulation, accessibility, furniture, zoning and flexibility at the beginning of the design process, schools can create environments capable of supporting a much broader range of learners.

The Morleys Advantage

FF&E and Education Interior Design Specialists

We believe the most successful education spaces are designed around the teaching staff and students who use them.

As schools begin to consider how new investment can strengthen their inclusive offer, there is an opportunity to create learning environments that do not simply accommodate different needs – but are designed with them in mind from the outset.

With extensive experience in education FF&E, interior design and inclusive learning environments, Morleys can support schools in reviewing existing spaces and developing practical, purposeful solutions that make the most of available funding while creating environments where every learner can thrive.

Contact Us

If you have an education project in the pipeline and would like to know more about the benefits of working with Morleys and the service we offer as FF&E design consultants, please get in touch, we would love to hear from you.