Inclusive School Forum (ISF)
Overview
The Inclusive School Forum is a school led forum within Telford and Wrekin that provides support to mainstream primary and secondary schools regarding the inclusive provision and practice they deliver for children with Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND).
It aims to provide an opportunity to network and deliver peer to peer guidance. By sharing best practice, ISF aims to support the development of an inclusive education system within Telford and Wrekin whereby children with increasingly complex needs achieve and succeed within mainstream schools.
The forum offers three functions of support:
- Advice and guidance from experienced professionals
- Access to outreach services that provide hands-on support in schools
- Access to Additional Inclusion Funding (AIF) to help schools meet children’s needs
The aims of the forum:
- Staff in schools will be more able to meet the needs of children and young people with SEND.
- Schools will increase their confidence so that children and young people with SEND are included and can achieve to their highest potential.
- There will be increased participation and achievement for children and young people with SEND.
- Schools will build their own expertise through wider workforce development leading to better outcomes for all.
- There will be less escalation into more specialist pathways, resource and provision.
Advice and guidance
The forum offers the opportunity to share best practice, learn from one another and hold a professional discussion in a supportive forum with peers.
Outreach
Schools can request a referral to an Outreach teacher from either Haughton, Southall School or The Bridge. The forum will consider a school’s request for Outreach support and if granted, the request will be forwarded to the Outreach team to agree what form this support will take.
Additional Inclusion Funding (AIF)
The forum has an allocation of high need top up funding (to be known as Additional Inclusion Funding or AIF) from the Local Authority which can be accessed by schools. This aims to enable schools to intervene early and with pace. The forum will still provide advice and guidance where access to AIF is sought. Importantly, an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) is not required to access AIF.
| Subject to change | |
| AIF | Value Per Annum |
| AI09 | £ 1,044.85 |
| AI10 | £ 2,089.70 |
| AI11 | £ 3,134.55 |
| AI12 | £ 4,179.40 |
| AI13 | £ 5,224.25 |
| AI14 | £ 6,269.10 |
| AI15 | £ 7,313.95 |
| AI16 | £ 8,358.80 |
Procedures for ISF Funding for Year 6 Pupils Transitioning to Secondary School in September:
Year 6 pupils currently receiving ISF funding: If funding is scheduled for review during the summer term and you feel it would benefit the pupil for it to continue, to support transition, please complete the review form and submit it to panel. If the continuation of funding is approved, it will remain in place until the end of December of year 7.
If the review date is after the summer term, their funding will automatically continue until the end of December.
Year 6 pupils being referred for the first time, during the summer term, for transition support: To have funding requests considered by the panel, during the summer term of year 6, all new applications must be made in coordination with the secondary school. Both the primary and secondary schools are required to present together at the panel meeting.
If funding is approved, it will be provided until the end of December, of year 7. Secondary schools seeking continuation of funding beyond December, must submit the review paperwork to the panel in January, when we will run a Year 7 review panel. Presentation at this panel is not required.
Eligible children
Any child in a Telford and Wrekin mainstream school (from year R to year 11) with special educational needs can be presented for advice and guidance.
Where access to AIF is being sought the following criteria is applied:
- Any child in a Telford and Wrekin mainstream school (from year R to year 11) with special educational needs can be presented for AIF.
- Children must not have an EHC plan, or have an EHC needs assessment underway.
- Children do not receive support via FAP, or a request has not been made for FAP resource. (Where a child previously received support via FAP but this has now stopped and the need continues or re-emerges then a request may be considered).
- The school can demonstrate that they are already supporting a child’s special educational need using quality first teaching and a high-quality graduated approach (this must involve evidence that outside agencies have been used during cycles of assess, plan, do and review) at SEN support.
- There is evidence that the school has used their normally available resources (i.e. element 2 funding of £6,000 per child per annum) over time to support the child’s special educational need via a costed provision map. From February 2026, we will only accept the Telford and Wrekin costed provision map template – available on the Local Offer).
- The school can provide evidence of progress over time and the impact of current provision.
- The school has set out what they require AIF for (based on recommendations from outside professionals), what needs they aim to address, what provision they would put in place, the cost of it and expected outcomes.
In addition:
- Schools/ parent carers should not apply for an EHC needs assessment at the same time as requesting AIF through the Inclusive School Forum.
- Pupils must have significant barriers to learning i.e. requiring support above element 2 funding (notionally £6,000).
- The right for parent carers and schools to request an EHC needs assessment remains in place, if appropriate, for children with AIF allocated through the Inclusive School Forum. However, AIF funding will stop from the date an EHC needs assessment request is agreed by the Local Authority (in exceptional circumstances AIF may continue up until the ECHNA process is finalised but this will be considered on a case by case basis and cannot be agreed by the forum).
- An allocation of AIF must be used for the named pupil only which is in line with the Schools and Early Years Finance Regulations, 2015.
How to make a request
Schools will need to complete an Inclusive School Forum (ISF) request form to access the Inclusive School Forum. This must include parental consent. If it does not, they will be sent back to the school. When making a request for AIF funding, schools are asked to provide supporting evidence only where it is felt necessary. The ISF panel will expect that a high-quality graduated approach has been delivered to support a child’s special educational needs and will ask you to detail your approach.
Once the relevant paperwork has been confirmed as complete, schools will receive confirmation regarding the date and time of their presentation to forum.
Please note: The school’s SENCo must attend to present the child to forum and be involved in the professional dialogue. Heads are also welcome to attend. SENCOs will be asked to present their children in groups of four (i.e. four children from four different schools will be heard at the same time). This will provide further opportunity for peer-to-peer networking and support.
Parent carers must be involved in the whole process and consent to their child’s needs being presented at the Inclusive School Forum. Schools must meet and plan with parent carers so that their views are represented in all decisions. The child’s voice must also be ‘heard’ when a request is made to the Inclusive School Forum.
All paperwork should be sent to [email protected]
Primary ISF dates
| Date of forum (Tuesday) | Time | Venue | Papers due in |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd December 2025 | 9am - 1pm | MS Teams | 25th November 2025 |
| 6th January 2026 | 9am - 1pm | MS Teams | 5th January 2026 |
| 3rd February 2026 | 9am - 1pm | MS Teams | 27th January 2026 |
| 3rd March 2026 | 9am - 1pm | MS Teams | 24th February 2026 |
| 14th April 2026 | 9am - 1pm | MS Teams | 7th April 2026 |
| 5th May 2025 | 9am - 1pm | MS Teams | 29th April 2026 |
| 2nd June 2026 | 9am - 1pm | MS Teams | 13th May 2026 |
| 7th July 2026 | 9am - 1pm | MS Teams | 30th June 2026 |
Secondary ISF dates
| Date of forum (Thursday) | Time | Venue | Papers due in |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11th December 2025 | 9am - 1pm | TBC | 27th November 2025 |
| 15th January 2026 | 9am - 1pm | TBC | 5th January 2026 |
| 12th February 2026 | 9am - 1pm | TBC | 30th January 2026 |
| 26th March 2026 | 9am - 1pm | TBC | 12th March 2026 |
| 14th May 2026 | 9am - 1pm | TBC | 30th April 2026 |
| 2nd July 2026 | 9am - 1pm | TBC | 26th June 2026 |