Inclusive Mainstream Fund 2026-27: A Guide for Schools

The Inclusive Mainstream Fund at a glance

The Inclusive Mainstream Fund (IMF) is new Department for Education funding that gives every eligible mainstream school in England money to make its everyday provision more inclusive. Schools share £400 million a year for three years, and every school must publish an inclusion strategy by 31 December 2026.

In this guide, we explain how much your school will receive, what the funding can and cannot be spent on, and how to link your spending to the DfE's seven principles of inclusion. We also show how practical classroom resources fit into an inclusion strategy.

Key fact Detail
Total for schools £400 million a year, for three years
Who gets it Mainstream state-funded schools in England, ages 5 to 16
How it is paid One payment for 2026-27: end of June to local authorities, early July to academy trusts
What it is for Activity that aligns with at least one of the seven principles of inclusion
Key deadline Inclusion strategy published by 31 December 2026
Spend by Unspent funding can be carried forward, but must be used by 31 March 2028

What is the Inclusive Mainstream Fund?

The Inclusive Mainstream Fund is a grant to help mainstream schools become "inclusive by design". It was announced in the February 2026 schools white paper, Every child achieving and thriving, alongside the SEND reform consultation, Putting children and young people first.

The aim is to help schools remove commonly occurring, predictable barriers to learning for all pupils, without waiting for a diagnosis or a statutory process. Schools can also use it to develop targeted, evidence-based support for pupils whose needs cannot be met by the universal offer alone.

The IMF is worth over £500 million a year in total. Of this, £400 million a year is for schools. Separate streams cover 16 to 19 providers and early years settings, through the Inclusive Early Years Fund.

The grant is not a personal budget for individual pupils. It is paid at school level, and each school decides how to use it after assessing the needs of its whole cohort. It sits alongside, not instead of, the school's core funding, including its notional SEN budget.

How much Inclusive Mainstream Fund will my school get?

Every school gets a £3,000 lump sum, plus per-pupil amounts based on pupil numbers and pupils with low prior attainment (LPA). These are the 2026-27 base rates:

Funding element Primary Secondary
Lump sum per school £3,000 £3,000
Per pupil (all pupils) £16 £14
Per pupil with low prior attainment £79 £88

The DfE then multiplies the total by an area cost adjustment, which reflects regional differences in labour costs. Pupil numbers come from the October 2025 census. Middle and all-through schools are funded at the rate for each pupil's age.

Worked example (illustrative only). A primary school with 210 pupils, 40 of them with low prior attainment, would receive £3,000 + (210 × £16) + (40 × £79) = £9,520 before the area cost adjustment. A secondary school with 1,000 pupils, 200 of them with low prior attainment, would receive £3,000 + (1,000 × £14) + (200 × £88) = £34,600 before the adjustment.

To see your actual figure, check the DfE's published school-level allocations or the estimate calculator on the Inclusive Mainstream Fund 2026 to 2027 page on GOV.UK.

When is the funding paid, and what are the deadlines?

Most schools have already received their 2026-27 allocation as a single payment. The next deadline that matters is 31 December 2026, when every school must publish its inclusion strategy.

Date What happens
May 2026 DfE confirmed school-level allocations
End of June 2026 Payment to local authorities, which pass it on to maintained schools
Early July 2026 Payment direct to academy trusts
31 December 2026 Every school must publish its inclusion strategy statement for 2026-27
February 2027 Allocations confirmed for schools that opened in September 2026, and for new and growing schools
31 March 2028 Last date to use any 2026-27 funding carried forward

Schools do not have to spend all of their allocation in 2026-27. Any carried-forward funding must still follow the conditions of grant and be accounted for in the inclusion strategy for the year it is spent.

The seven principles of inclusion

Every pound of Inclusive Mainstream Fund spending must align with at least one of the DfE's seven principles of inclusion. Schools do not have to spend across all seven, and the DfE suggests starting with a small number of high-impact activities.

Principle Examples from DfE guidance
1. Ambitious leadership and governance that embeds inclusion Better data on pupil needs, specialist advice, benchmarking against similar schools
2. Evidence-based support prioritising early intervention Small-group and one-to-one interventions, flexible grouping, pre-teaching vocabulary
3. High-quality adaptive teaching with curriculum designed for all learners Training in adaptive teaching, scaffolding, and using technology to support pupils with SEND
4. Enriching provision beyond the classroom that all children can access Clubs, trips and equipment that remove practical barriers to taking part
5. A safe and respectful culture fostering belonging and attendance Whole-school behaviour approaches, quiet spaces, attendance support
6. Strong partnerships with families and wider services Parent information sessions, transition support, guidance for learning at home
7. Inclusive environments with continuous improvements to accessibility Visual supports, meeting sensory needs, reducing distraction, adapting technology

What can the Inclusive Mainstream Fund be spent on?

The funding must be spent on evidence-informed activity that falls under the seven principles. Within that, the DfE's guidance gives schools wide flexibility, from staff training to physical changes in the classroom.

Under the inclusive environments principle, the DfE's examples include:

  • creating visual supports, such as timetables and communication aids
  • improving classrooms and corridors to meet a range of sensory needs, including acoustics, lighting and reducing visual clutter
  • improving or adapting carefully selected technology to support a range of needs

The guidance also allows funding for equipment or other accommodations that remove practical barriers to participation, beyond what would count as reasonable adjustments.

What it cannot be spent on

The conditions of grant state that the funding must not be spent on:

  • general school running costs or operational expenditure
  • subsidising spending on activity that already existed
  • staff time for activities unrelated to inclusion
  • capital works
  • any activity that does not align with at least one of the seven principles

Schools must keep clear records of income and expenditure for the grant. The DfE will review a sample of published strategies to check that spending meets the conditions.

Classroom resources that fit the principles

Practical resources that are always available in the classroom are one of the simplest ways to remove predictable barriers for every pupil. The DfE's best practice guidance highlights The Academy at Shotton Hall in Peterlee, which equipped its classrooms with an "adaptation station" of practical resources such as reading rulers.

These everyday resources map to three of the seven principles:

Resource Who it helps Principle
Coloured reading rulers and overlays Dyslexic readers and pupils with visual stress High-quality adaptive teaching; inclusive environments
Pencil grips and writing slopes Pupils who find handwriting or posture difficult High-quality adaptive teaching; inclusive environments
Ear defenders Pupils with noise sensitivity, autistic pupils, pupils with ADHD Inclusive environments
Sand timers and visual cards Pupils who benefit from predictability and visual cues Inclusive environments
Recordable voice pads Pupils who need instructions repeated or prefer to speak their ideas High-quality adaptive teaching
Emotion wheels and calming putty Pupils who need help to name feelings and self-regulate A safe and respectful culture

Your inclusion strategy: a quick checklist

Your inclusion strategy statement for 2026-27 must be on your school website by 31 December 2026. The DfE has published a template on GOV.UK to help. Based on the DfE guidance, your strategy should:

  • set out the commonly occurring, predictable needs in your cohort and the barriers to learning pupils face
  • explain how funding is already spent on inclusion, and your planned investment in line with the seven principles
  • describe the activities and approaches you will use, with budgeted costs
  • be published on your website each academic year, accessible to parents
  • be scrutinised by governors or trustees

Ofsted inspectors can consider your inclusion strategy when evaluating inclusion. In a multi-academy trust, each academy must publish its own statement, even if the trust pools funding.

Frequently asked questions

How much Inclusive Mainstream Fund will my school get?
Each school gets a £3,000 lump sum, plus £16 per primary pupil or £14 per secondary pupil, and £79 (primary) or £88 (secondary) per pupil with low prior attainment. The total is then adjusted for local labour costs. Check the DfE's published allocations for your exact figure.

What can the Inclusive Mainstream Fund be spent on?
Evidence-informed activity that aligns with at least one of the seven principles of inclusion. This can include training, interventions, visual supports, sensory adjustments, technology and practical equipment that removes barriers to learning.

Can we buy classroom resources with the Inclusive Mainstream Fund?
Yes, if they support activity in line with the seven principles and your inclusion strategy. The DfE's guidance gives visual supports, meeting sensory needs and adapting technology as examples under inclusive environments.

Can we use it to pay for things we already do?
No. The conditions of grant say it must not subsidise pre-existing activity or cover general running costs.

Do we have to spend it all in 2026-27?
No. Schools can carry funding forward, but it must be used by 31 March 2028.

When does our inclusion strategy need to be published?
By 31 December 2026, on your school website. The requirement is expected to continue each year.

Is the funding for individual pupils with SEND?
No. It is not a personal budget. It is paid at school level to improve provision for the whole cohort, including pupils with SEND.

Does it apply outside England?
No. The Inclusive Mainstream Fund applies to mainstream state-funded schools in England only.

Sources

This guide is for general information and is based on Department for Education guidance as of 12 October 2026. Always check the latest guidance on GOV.UK before making spending decisions.

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