Inclusion in Primary Education: Building Belonging, Wellbeing, and Stronger Thinking

Inclusion in education is often discussed in terms of access and wellbeing —ensuring that every child can attend school, participate fully in lessons and that they feel valued and they have a sense of belonging. Ofsted's inclusion framework explains that schools must demonstrate how they are addressing the needs of disadvantaged and SEND students. The Ofsted framework focuses on ensuring strong inclusion practices are in place, linking to the inclusion audit, which outlines how schools can improve their approaches. However, in reality a fully inclusive education and sense of belonging goes much deeper than this surface level. It’s about creating environments where every child feels they belong, where their wellbeing is protected, and where their cognitive development is actively supported. In primary education especially, these foundations shape not only academic outcomes but lifelong attitudes toward learning, belonging and self-worth.

Child using a tablet as a communication device

Two frameworks gaining increasing attention in UK primary settings—"The 5-a-day principle” from the EEF and the “Ordinarily Available Offer”—provide practical ways to embed inclusion into everyday classroom practice.

Inclusion Works for Everyone

Research has consistently shown that approaches effective for teaching pupils with SEND are, in fact, effective for all learners. A helpful way to understand this is through a simple analogy.

Imagine automatic sliding doors at a shop entrance. These doors are essential for someone using a wheelchair, allowing independent access without needing assistance. However, they also benefit many other people: a parent pushing a buggy, someone carrying heavy shopping bags, or a shopper manoeuvring a trolley. What was designed as an essential adjustment for some becomes a universal benefit for all.

Shoop door image (Generated by AI)

Classroom practice works in much the same way. Strategies designed to remove barriers for pupils with additional needs—such as clear instructions, visual supports, and structured routines—end up improving learning for every child. For example, ensuring that there is a blind to help a deaf child lip read the teachers talk – this blind also help other see the teacher more clearly.

The Education Endowment Foundation emphasises that high-quality whole-class teaching is the first and most important step in supporting all pupils to succeed. The best available evidence (EEF 2021) indicates that great teaching is the most important lever schools have to improve pupil attainment. Ensuring every teacher is supported in delivering high-quality teaching is essential to achieving the best outcomes for all pupils, particularly the most disadvantaged among them. It is important that schools consider how children learn, how they develop knowledge and skills, and how they can be supported to lay firm foundations for later learning.

The 5-a-day principle (EEF) is a simple but powerful approach that encourages teachers to embed five types of support into everyday teaching. These strategies are not just for pupils with identified needs—they benefit all learners.

The five areas include:

• Explicit Instruction

  Clear modelling and step-by-step explanations reduce confusion and support understanding.

• Cognitive and Metacognitive Strategies

  Teaching children how to think, plan, and reflect strengthens independence.

• Scaffolding

  Temporary supports—like sentence starters, writing frames, visual prompts and check lists—help pupils access learning.

• Flexible Grouping

  Working in different groupings promotes collaboration and peer learning.

• Use of Technology

  Simple tools can improve accessibility and engagement, including using computers, talking postcards, reading pens and interactive visuals.

When these elements are consistently embedded, classrooms become inclusive by design rather than by reaction.

The Ordinarily Available Offer: Inclusion as Standard Practice

The Ordinarily Available Offer (OAO) sets out the expectation that all pupils should receive inclusive, high-quality teaching as a baseline—without needing specialist intervention. Teachers know their pupils and will notice when a pupil isn't flourishing. The Ordinarily Available offer is about simple additions, adjustments or adaptations that a teacher can put into place to change their teaching, their environment or their provision to remove any potential barriers to learning for the pupils in their care.

In primary schools, this often includes:

• Clear routines and structured environments

• Adapted teaching approaches rather than separate tasks

• Visual supports to aid understanding

• Strong relationships between staff and pupils

• Early identification and responsive adjustments

The Ordinary Available Offer reinforces a key message: inclusion is not exceptional provision—it is everyday practice.

Children in a science lesson

Belonging: The Foundation of Inclusion

Before learning can happen, children need to feel a sense lows then to feel of belonging which allows then to feel values, included and seen.

In inclusive classrooms, belonging is nurtured through in a range of ways:

• Positive, consistent relationships

• Representation in curriculum and classroom environment

• Opportunities for every child to contribute

• A culture that values and teaches children about difference

When children feel seen and accepted, they are far more likely to engage and take risks in their learning.

Wellbeing: Enabling Readiness to Learn

Emotional wellbeing in schools plays a central role in how effectively children learn, particularly in primary settings where self-regulation and social understanding are still developing. When pupils feel safe, valued, and emotionally supported, they are far more able to focus, engage, and persist with challenging tasks. In contrast, heightened stress or anxiety can interfere with attention, memory, and problem-solving, making learning significantly more difficult. Research in Educational Psychology shows that strong emotional wellbeing supports cognitive processes such as working memory and executive function, which are essential for tasks like reading comprehension, writing, and mathematics. Schools that prioritise emotional wellbeing—through positive relationships, predictable routines, and explicit teaching of emotional literacy—create the conditions for pupils not just to cope, but to thrive academically and socially.

Wellbeing is not separate from learning—it underpins it. A child who feels anxious or overwhelmed will struggle to focus and retain information.

Inclusive classrooms support wellbeing by:

• Embedding emotional literacy

• Providing predictable routines

• Understanding behaviour as communication

• Supporting self-regulation

The 5-a-day approach supports this by reducing stress and increasing clarity, helping pupils feel safe and capable in their learning environment.

Cognition: Supporting How Children Learn

Cognition refers to how children think, process, and retain information, and it plays a crucial role in effective learning. In primary classrooms, supporting cognition means breaking learning into manageable steps, using clear explanations, and providing visual aids to reduce overload. Drawing on insights from Cognitive Science, teachers can help pupils build connections between new and prior knowledge, use repetition to strengthen memory, and give time for reflection. When cognitive demands are carefully managed, children are better able to understand, apply, and retain what they learn, leading to greater confidence and independence. Inclusive teaching carefully manages cognitive load to avoid overwhelming learners.

Effective strategies include:

• Breaking learning into manageable steps

• Using visuals and repetition

• Linking new learning to prior knowledge

• Allowing time for thinking and reflection

These approaches ensure that all pupils can access learning meaningfully.

Happy children building relationships and belonging

Bringing It All Together in the Classroom

In practice, inclusion is about small, deliberate choices:

• A teacher modelling a task clearly

• A visual timetable supporting transitions

• Group work encouraging collaboration

• Scaffolds enabling all pupils to succeed

Like the automatic sliding doors, these strategies may be essential for some—but they improve the experience for everyone. Inclusion in education is not about doing more—it’s about doing things differently. By focusing on belonging, wellbeing, and cognition, and embedding approaches like the 5-a-day principle and the Ordinarily Available Offer, schools can create environments where every child thrives.

The aim is simple: a classroom where every child feels they belong, every child is supported, and every child can succeed.