Can you create a culture of belonging in your trust? At our recent MATPN Midlands panel discussion, three experienced trust CEOs – Rachel Wilkes (Humber Education Trust), Julian Scholefield (Esteem MAT), and Cori Bateman (Pioneer Learning Trust) – came together to share their thoughts on inclusion in today’s schools.

Here are the key takeaways…

The real state of SEND: broken or burdened?

Many educators have described the SEND system as ‘broken’, but is this really the case? While the system presents many challenges, Julian Scholefield argued that such a label oversimplifies a much more complex situation.

He explained:

‘When we think of something being broken, we tend to think you need to get rid of it and get something different, you need a replacement – but I don’t. I think if you look around, there’s some really brilliant send practise. So to me, maybe broken is going too far because if it was broken, why is there so much good practise?’

According to Julian, the system isn’t collapsing, but it is creaking under pressure. It’s not that SEND provision is fundamentally flawed, but rather that demand, complexity, and fragmentation have overwhelmed its current structure.

Rachel Wilkes and Cori Bateman echoed the same concerns, highlighting the growing complexity of SEND needs and the mismatch between what pupils need and what schools are designed to provide.

As Rachel explained:

‘We are seeing increasing complexity of SEND needs and increasing numbers of children with more complex needs coming into our early years setting. I think that has become a real challenge for schools, even schools that are really inclusive, because those children need something that is completely different from a mainstream curriculum. So, it isn’t just a case of differentiating or adapting.’

Redefining inclusion: from tolerance to belonging

So, what can we do to ensure that children come to school and feel that they belong? For Cori, it’s about creating genuine, deep inclusion, and not just tolerance. She explained:

‘I feel that I’ve been in schools and where they talk about being inclusive, but they’re not inclusive, They’re tolerant. They tolerate children whose needs are challenging. They tolerate children whose behaviours are challenging. And I think until we move to a position where we don’t talk about inclusion anymore and we talk about belonging and we genuinely mean it, then we are going to be a challenged system.’

Rethinking SEND reform

When asked what they’d like to see from SEND reform, Cori’s stressed that reforms should come from genuine understanding, not from people behind desks who have no experience with the children they’re making policies about.

‘What I’d like to see from SEND reforms is something that’s based on research and based on a deep understanding of the system and the challenges that we’re actually facing.’

Continuing the conversation, Rachel emphasised the need for cross-sector collaboration, especially when it comes to health and social care.

‘There’s a distinct issue with health and social care not being proper partners… If we’re going to call it an education, health and care plan, then all those voices need to be in the room.’

Julian echoed the need for collaboration not just across sectors, but within education itself.

‘The DfE, local authorities and trusts – we’re supposed to be partners. But when have you ever sat in a room together?’ He continued, ‘We could make a better system if we all got together and really worked at it.’

Innovative practices that are working

Towards the end of our panel discussion, our speakers shared real, practical strategies that are making a difference for children with SEND across their trusts.

Rachel kicked off the discussion by emphasising the importance of staff training in creating an inclusive culture. At Humber Education Trust, SEND is treated with the same seriousness and shared responsibility as safeguarding. Every member of staff now receives regular training, supported by ongoing ‘reminders’ built into the school year. ‘That kind of ongoing training and that mindset – that SEND is everybody’s responsibility – has made a real difference,’ Rachel explained. This strategy has helped embed inclusion within the trust, ensuring that every adult feels confident and accountable for supporting every child.

Continuing the conversation, Cori Bateman spoke about making specialist resources like ear defenders and wobble cushions available in every classroom, for any child to use. This not only empowers the children to discover what works for them, but it also helps reduce stigma and creates a sense of belonging because, as Cori says, ‘anyone and everyone can be a part of that.’

Join our future discussions

A big thank you to our panel – Rachel Wilkes, Julian Scholefield, and Cori Bateman – for sharing their insights.

If you found this conversation valuable, we’d love to see you at our next Multi Academy Trust Partnership Network event, where we’ll continue exploring the big questions shaping the future of education. Join us to connect with trust leaders, share ideas, and be part of a growing community working to create a more inclusive system for all.