With the recent announcement from The Department of Education expecting every secondary school to have an inclusion base, part of the government's 10 year education estates strategy, it's clear there is an important and continued national emphasis on inclusion. Inclusion bases are designed to strengthen mainstream provision, making schools more inclusive and accessible by design, and provide targeted SEND and SEMH support for pupils within the school community. However, school staff are now wondering where the space for an inclusion base is supposed to come from. Let's discuss why modular buildings are an effective solution...
Inclusion bases are designed to bridge the gap between mainstream and specialist provision, providing a dedicated safe space away from the busy classroom. It's somewhere pupils can access targeted support, helping them to thrive among their peers and stay a part of the school community.
Inclusion bases offer a calm and structured environment to help pupils with SEND and SEMH, and can include quiet zones, sensory-friendly environments, or 1-1 and small group teaching and support areas. Having an additional quieter environment allows pupils to focus, regulate their emotions, receive the individual support they need, and participate fully in school life.
As part of the aim to make schools more inclusive by design, the government expects that every secondary school will, in time, have an inclusion base. The Department for Education is emphasising inclusion bases as part of the estates strategy and wider efforts to make mainstream schools more accessible and supportive. However, we know that from talking to headteachers, SENCOs, school business managers and estates managers across the UK that the challenge isn't understanding the need for inclusion bases, it's finding the physical space within school to make it happen.
The DfE have said: 'Inclusion bases could be additional spaces within the school building or refurbishment or repurposing of existing space – for example a spare classroom'.
While repurposing an existing room within the school or converting a classroom may work well for some secondary schools who have the available space, many do not, and have already long been struggling with a capacity crisis. The reality for a large number of secondary schools is that pupil numbers are rising, especially the number of pupils who need targeted support, such as SEND or SEMH support. And this is happening while the main school building is often already long unfit for purpose, or there are simply no available spaces which can given up and converted.
Unfortunately, trying to 'make do' and pull together an inclusion base inside an already overstretched building can create further timetable complications and reduce teaching space elsewhere. Plus, in many cases, the traditional classroom environment is unfit for inclusion purposes already. Classrooms designed for teaching all subjects to whole classes typically don't translate into dedicated, supportive and sensory-friendly inclusion spaces ideal for targeted support sessions. This will only force schools to try to retrofit inclusive provision into buildings that were never designed for it. Schools need a proper solution.
For schools facing limitations with their existing infrastructure, a modular inclusion base is often the realistic solution. Purpose-built modular buildings offer a practical alternative to converting classrooms when there simply isn't space in the main school building. These standalone buildings allow schools to add dedicated inclusion provision onsite without sacrificing teaching space where capacity demands are already high.
Being a separate build, a modular inclusion base can be positioned strategically on your site so that it works best for your staff and pupils. This might mean keeping the building close enough to the main building to ensure a seamless transition between support and teaching, while still providing distance from high-traffic corridors and noisy areas. Alternatively, you might choose to position your modular school room on your field to give pupils a calm view of nature, allowing them to connect with the outdoors. Since every school is different, our education building experts can assess your vision and requirements and provide advice about the best placement for your modular inclusion room.
A key benefit of modular buildings is that they can be installed quickly on existing school grounds, providing a fully insulated, high-quality space tailored to the needs of pupils requiring additional support. Traditional brick and mortar extensions can take very long periods of time, causing disruption to normal school life and timetabling. Modular buildings can be installed in a matter of days, enabling a much faster and stress-free project turnaround.
Cost-effective (with funding support available!)
We know that budgets are often a barrier for schools, and capital budgets are particularly tight. Our educational buildings are a cost-effective, affordable solution. Plus, we have partnered with FundEd! When you work with us on a new project, we’ll connect you with FundEd so you can: identify relevant grants, access fundraising advice, get templates and bid support to make the process less daunting, and involve your PTA or wider community in fundraising efforts via FundEd’s funding wall platform.
For inclusion projects that require building regulations compliance, or where schools require larger sized buildings due to a high number of pupils requiring support, our permanent buildings are the ideal solution. We manage the entire process from design through to approval. Working closely with building control and structural engineers, we ensure every aspect of your new school building meets the latest safety, energy, and accessibility requirements. Not sure whether your inclusion base would need Building Regulations approval? Our team can help you decide whether a standard modular building or a permanent compliant building is right for your school.
Log Cabin Inclusion Base
George Spencer Academy in Nottingham required additional space for SEND and SEMH support on site. They sought out a solution and found our experts at Cabins for Schools. After discussing their requirements for extra space for inclusion, they opted for one of our 10m² log cabins to create a separate space away from the busy, traditional classroom environment. Their inclusion and wellbeing building, 'The Cloud' now supports students each day from across the school. Reflecting on the impact, their headteacher told us:
"There is a growing number of children who have been diagnosed with certain specific learning needs. We were looking for additional space, and to have a space like this where an individual or a few young people can come in and have a totally different environment to the average classroom in their working day is fantastic."
With DfE and government expectations about every secondary school having an inclusion base, they are likely to become a standard feature of secondary provision. Thankfully, Cabins for Schools can provide a high quality, cost-effective and timely solution.
Cabins for Schools works closely with headteachers, SENCos, and estates teams to design, deliver, and install modular inclusion bases, taking the pressure off busy staff and ensuring pupils get the support they need quickly.
With careful planning and the right solution, schools can meet DfE policy expectations, provide a supportive environment for all learners, and make the most of their available space efficiently.
Contact us today to discuss your school’s requirements, or request a pricing guide to browse example inclusion base project prices and find out more about our modular education buildings. We can't wait to deliver your ideal inclusion base as a full turnkey solution!
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