Guidance

RISE support for inclusive mainstream education

Published 19 September 2025

Applies to England

© Crown copyright 2025

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Regional improvement in standards and excellence (RISE) aims to break the link between young people’s backgrounds and their future success. These programmes and resources can help mainstream schools improve inclusivity and support for those with special educational needs and disability (SEND).

Professional development and resources

Universal SEND services

Universal SEND services provides free, accessible and quality-assured information, resources and continuing professional development (CPD) to support a whole-school approach to inclusion.

The programme includes:

  • online SEND CPD units
  • autism training
  • spotlight sessions
  • national events

Registration to the programme is free.

Inclusion in Practice research and examples

Inclusion in Practice is a collaborative initiative involving:

  • the SEND inclusion in education expert group, an independent advisory group providing advice to government on how to improve mainstream inclusion
  • the Ambition Institute
  • the Confederation of School Trusts
  • a range of sector partners

Following a call for evidence in spring 2025 to find examples of effective inclusive practice in mainstream schools, Inclusion in Practice and ImpactEd Group published:

  • an emerging insights report laying out 5 principles of promising practice
  • a set of case studies demonstrating how areas of promising practice are being implemented successfully in schools

Nuffield Early Learning Intervention

The DfE-funded Nuffield Early Learning Intervention (NELI) programme is available to all state-funded schools with a reception class. It targets reception-aged children who need extra support with their speech and language development.

An impact evaluation found that children who receive NELI make, on average, 4 months of additional progress in oral language skills, and 7 months for those children on free school meals. 

Longer-term analysis by RAND Europe (published March 2023) has found that many of the benefits of taking part in NELI remained when children were aged 6 or 7.

Alternative provision specialist taskforces

Alternative provision specialist taskforces (APST) involve teams of youth and family workers and SEN specialists who work together to:

  • support vulnerable children in alternative provision and through outreach in mainstream schools
  • help enable rapid access to the right support
  • promote inclusion and reintegration within mainstream school

APST guidance brings together lessons learned from the pilot and can be used to help schools, local authorities and their partners successfully plan their own taskforce.

An impact evaluation is also available.

Professional qualifications

National professional qualifications (NPQs) provide training and support for education professionals using the latest and best available evidence. The courses can be completed flexibly around existing commitments. There are:

  • 5 specialist NPQs for those who want to broaden their existing knowledge, expertise, and skills
  • 5 leadership NPQs to help boost teachers and leaders’ knowledge and confidence for leadership roles

The NPQ for Special Educational Needs Co-ordinators (NPQ for SENCOs) is a mandatory leadership qualification for SENCOs in mainstream schools. The qualification covers the essential knowledge and skills needed to set the strategic direction of SEN policy in a school and the conditions in which pupils with SEND can thrive.

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