Successfully integrating a specialist special educational needs and disabilities base into a mainstream school
5 min read
REBECCA COX, CEO, HALES VALLEY TRUST, UK
EMMA TOLLEY, TRUST HEAD OF INCLUSION, HALES VALLEY TRUST, UK
KAREN CARVER, TRUST HEAD OF INCLUSION, PRIORY PRIMARY SCHOOL, UK
HOLLIE JENNINGS, ASSISTANT HEADTEACHER AND SENCO, WOODSIDE PRIMARY SCHOOL, UK
The role of SEND bases in supporting inclusive practice
A SEND (special educational needs and disabilities) base (also referred to as a unit or resource base) typically refers to a specialist provision within a mainstream school that supports students with more complex learning needs, while still being part of the wider school community. The Warnock Report (1978) emphasised the importance of integrating children with SEND into mainstream schools wherever possible, advocating for a more inclusive approach to education. Similarly, a recent speech by Tom Rees (cited in Ofsted, 2025) at the Schools North East Academies Conference advocated the principle of embedding inclusion into the foundation of mainstream education, rather than treating
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