SEND reforms and mainstream schools: why inclusive classroom design matters

How the reforms are implemented will be crucial as the plan will result in Education, Health and Care Plans being reserved for pupils with the highest level of needs. In 2024/2025, almost half a million children had an EHCP plan, and more than 25% of those cases went to tribunal, with 95% of parents winning.

According to Andrew Ball, Project Director at Pinnacle, the reforms make it increasingly important that learning environments evolve alongside policy.

He says, “Inclusion will have to start in the classroom. The physical learning environment isn’t just a backdrop. The furniture, layout and adaptability of a space actively shape how teaching happens and how pupils experience learning.”

As policy moves toward integrating more SEND pupils into mainstream schools, the design of classrooms, breakout areas, and shared learning spaces will play a huge role in determining the success of that transition.

Mainstream schools will need to adopt inclusive classroom designs
The system cannot build new schools quickly enough to meet rising SEND demand, leaving much of the existing school estate to adapt.

“A typical classroom still tends to look the same,” Andrew explains. “Thirty chairs, fifteen desks, all facing the front. Those environments work for some learners, but they don’t work for everyone, particularly pupils with neurodivergent needs.”

Importantly, meaningful improvements do not always require major rebuilding projects. In many cases, the most effective changes involve relatively small, practical adjustments to classroom configuration, such as using existing furniture more flexibly.

Instead of rows of identical desks and chairs, more adaptable learning environments may include a mix of seating options, standing-height tables and smaller breakout areas within the same classroom.

“We’ve seen classrooms where pupils can choose different types of seating, whether that’s a standard chair, a stool or a high table,” Andrew says. “Giving students that choice can make a significant difference to how comfortable they feel and how well they engage with learning.”

Crucially, these types of adjustments benefit far more than just pupils with formal SEND diagnoses.

Research into learning behaviour consistently shows that pupils concentrate more effectively when they can move, change position or select the environment that works best for them.

Special needs teacher stresses that every child is different
Primary school and special-needs teacher Jo Ritchie, who now runs a movement class for carers and young children within BabyBeats called Mindful Movers, recalls creating a simple space in her classroom to support a neurodivergent pupil.

“Even something small can make a difference. In one classroom, I created a little nook at the back by moving bookcases on wheels and filling the space with cushions. It was quite small, but it gave one pupil somewhere to sit at the beginning of the day and regulate before joining the rest of the class.”

She also stresses that one of the challenges in supporting SEND pupils is that no two children have the same needs.

“Every child is an individual with different needs and different ways of learning. Even when I was teaching at a school where every child was autistic, they all needed something different.”

Why schools need calm spaces and sensory areas
Education experts have also highlighted the importance of providing spaces where pupils can briefly step away to regulate emotions or manage sensory overload.

For pupils with neurodivergent needs, the ability to decompress can be the difference between remaining engaged throughout the school day and becoming overwhelmed. One parent tells us that her neurodivergent son struggled with the busiest parts of the school day.

“The corridors at breaktime would send him into a panic. He didn’t like being touched by other pupils, and the noise felt unbearable. Likewise, the school dining room was overwhelming, and he’d often skip lunch. He was eventually moved from a mainstream comprehensive school to a special school, where good design meant these stress points no longer existed.”

East Calder Primary School - an example of inclusive design done well
Simple additions such as soft seating, sensory elements or acoustic wall panels that soften sound, can transform underused spaces into valuable support environments, and evidence suggests that when pupils know these spaces are available, they can regulate their behaviour and remain in lessons for longer.

Headteacher Fiona Stewart of East Calder Primary School, one of our clients, has seen first-hand how thoughtful design can help pupils feel included. “When we were designing the school, we wanted it to be as inclusive as possible,” she explains. “For example, our assembly hall has windows all around it. Some pupils find large gatherings overwhelming, so being able to stand by the window and still see what’s happening allows them to take part in a way that feels safe for them. It’s important to us that children can choose how they participate without feeling singled out.”

The open plan design of East Calder also improves visibility for teachers -” the open nature of the school means visibility is far better for everyone. As headteacher, I can see pupils arriving, moving, and settling into their day, and they can see me too. It creates a sense of connection and calm across the whole building.”

For Jo Richie, one of the most effective ways to make learning more inclusive was by creating a variety of smaller environments within a larger classroom.

“That flexibility was crucial,” she says. “Some children needed quiet areas with low lighting, others liked sensory spaces with lights and activity. Having different environments allowed each child to find the space that helped them learn best.”

Fiona explains that East Calder has a similar approach. She explains: “Most of the time, our classrooms work well for all pupils because each one has a clearly identified ‘safe space’ - a cosy corner, cushions, or bookcases that create a sense of enclosure. Children can go there to regulate when they need to. But we also recognise that sometimes even that is too much, so we’ve created breakout spaces just outside classrooms to provide a quieter, more structured option. Across the school, our reading nooks and booths offer small, comforting places where children can decompress and feel calm.” 

Pinnacle worked closely with East Calder to create an inclusive school environment, but many of the measures the school takes are practical ones; for example, Fiona recognised that the start of the school day was often chaotic. “Traditional lining up outside classrooms creates far more stress than stability,” she says. “The noise, the crowding, the uncertainty of waiting in a line was overwhelming for many of our pupils, particularly some of our neurodivergent learners.  We now offer a much gentler, more nurturing start to the school day. Pupils have a 15‑minute window to come into class gradually, settle themselves, and regulate before learning begins. The difference in well-being, calmness and readiness to learn has been remarkable across the whole school.”

The future of inclusive school environments
As the government’s SEND reforms and long-term estates strategy develop, the design of learning environments will become an increasingly important factor in delivering genuinely inclusive education.

While large-scale building programmes and specialist SEND units may form part of the solution, many schools can begin adapting their environments and strategies now.

Andrew adds: “When we design spaces that can adapt to different learning styles, we unlock more possibilities for teaching and for pupils,” he says. “And ultimately that benefits everyone in the classroom.”