Webinar: Children's Rights as a Foundation for Inclusion

About the webinar 

As part of the Inclusive Mainstream Funding, schools in England are required to publish an inclusion strategy by 31 December 2026. An inclusion strategy should be more than a document, it is an opportunity to consider how we can create an ethos and culture where every child feels included, valued, heard and able to fully participate.  This free webinar will help school leaders explore how a child rights approach can provide a strong foundation for your work on inclusion, embedding the principles of dignity, non-discrimination and participation into everyday culture and practice. Book now to secure your free place and leave with practical ideas you can use to strengthen your school’s inclusion strategy. 

In one hour, you will hear how a school has put rights respecting practice into action, explore direct links with national inclusion requirements and identify practical next steps for your own setting. 

Date: 3 November 2026
Time: 4.00–5.00 pm
Venue: Online via Microsoft Teams
Cost: Free

Why a Rights Respecting approach? 

UNICEF UK’s Rights Respecting Schools Award (RRSA) supports schools to place children’s rights at the heart of policy and practice. By using the RRSA framework to strengthen belonging, pupil voice, wellbeing, participation, relationships and self-esteem, schools can build a practical foundation for  inclusive whole-school improvement. 

Schools receiving the Inclusive Mainstream Fund must use their allocation in line with the DfE’s  seven principles of inclusion and publish an inclusion strategy on their website by 31 December 2026. This webinar will help schools connect these expectations with practical rights respecting practice, placing pupil voice, belonging and participation at the heart of their approach. 

The session will show how a child rights approach can help schools interpret and apply each of the  DfE’s  seven principles of inclusion in a coherent, whole-school way. 

Hear from Roger Mitchell, Headteacher, and Stephanie Liaw, Assistant Headteacher, from Ripple Primary School in Barking and Dagenham, who will share how their school has used rights respecting practice to strengthen pupil voice, belonging, relationships and an inclusive culture. Drawing on practical examples and reflections from the school’s experience, they will highlight learning that participants can apply in their own settings. The RRSA team will set the wider context, explain the links between RRSA and inclusive practice, and facilitate questions and discussion. 

During the session, you will: 

• explore the connections between children’s rights and inclusive school improvement; 

• hear a real-school case study with practical examples; 

• consider how pupil voice and participation can inform inclusive decision-making; 

• identify ideas to support your own inclusion strategy and wider school practice; and 

• ask questions and share reflections 

Who should attend?
This webinar is for school and trust leaders, inclusion and SEND leads, RRSA leads, governors, and colleagues responsible for school improvement or inclusive practice. It is suitable both for schools already engaged with RRSA and for those exploring the Award for the first time. 

Direct link to national requirements: 

This webinar directly supports schools responding to the Department for Education’s guidance on developing an inclusion strategy using the Inclusive Mainstream Fund. Further information is available on the DfE’s Inclusive Mainstream Fund 2026 to 2027 page, together with the published Inclusion Strategy Template.  

Secure your free place today and leave with practical, rights-based ideas to help turn national inclusion expectations into meaningful action across your school.