With the arrival of the Inclusive Mainstream Fund (IMF) in December 2026, the conversation in staffrooms is shifting. It’s no longer just about how much funding is available, but how we can use it to weave inclusion into the very fabric of our school day.
The new mandate is clear: to access this funding, schools must publish a robust Inclusion Strategy. But as any teacher knows, a strategy is only as good as the impact it has on the child sitting in the third row who is too overwhelmed to pick up a pen. So, how do we move from a document on a website to a living, breathing culture of belonging? It starts with two things: the right data and the right headspace.
What is the Inclusive Mainstream Fund (IMF)
The Inclusive Mainstream Fund (IMF) is a government grant designed for mainstream state-funded schools in England, including maintained schools, academies and mainstream provision within trusts. Unlike many funding programmes, schools do not need to submit individual applications. Funding is allocated directly using a national formula and distributed either directly or via local authorities.
The aim is to help schools strengthen inclusive practice through approaches that support children and young people earlier and more effectively.
To find out more read our comprehensive guide.
The power of knowing where to start
If the IMF is the engine of our new inclusive classrooms, the Boxall Profile® is the GPS.
Often, the barriers to learning are invisible. A pupil might be "quietly disengaged" or "unexpectedly disruptive," and without the right tools, we are often left guessing why. The Boxall Profile® changes that. It allows us to look beyond the behavior and understand the developmental "missing pieces" underneath.
By using the profile to baseline your pupils in Autumn 1, you aren’t just ticking a box for your Inclusion Strategy; you are creating a roadmap for every child. You can see, at a glance, where the gaps in social and emotional development lie and more importantly, you can track exactly how they improve over time. This is the "gold standard" of evidence that the DfE and Ofsted are looking for to justify your IMF spend.
Start your 30-day free trial now.
Evidencing your impact
By December 2026, your school's published Inclusion Strategy will need to answer a simple question: What are you doing to remove predictable barriers to learning?
By pairing the Boxall Profile® Online with nurture training, your answer is already written:
- Identification: "We use the Boxall Profile® to identify and monitor SEMH needs before they escalate."
- Implementation: "Our staff are trained in nurture principles to provide high-quality adaptive teaching."
- Impact: "Our data shows a measurable increase in pupil engagement and a decrease in dysregulated incidents."
Looking ahead
The IMF represents a huge opportunity to move away from the "diagnosis-first" model and toward a school system that welcomes every child from day one.
The Nurture School Foundations program and its Relational Practice Award represent the perfect next step for the Inclusive Mainstream Fund (IMF). By focusing heavily on embedding relational practice, attachment-aware strategies, and early intervention, this framework directly aligns with the IMF’s mission to foster truly inclusive educational environments. Implementing this structured approach ensures that mainstream schools are thoroughly equipped to identify and support the social, emotional, and mental health (SEMH) needs of every pupil. Investing in this pathway will empower educators to turn inclusive principles into sustainable, everyday practice, maximising the long-term impact of the fund.
As we move through the Summer term and prepare for the start of a new academic year, now is the time to start building that foundation.
Are you ready to lead the change?
Achieving the Nurture School Foundations: The Relational Practice Award is a powerful statement of intent and is the first step on a relational and nurturing journey.
Log in or sign up here to purchase and get started on your journey toward the Foundation Nurture School Award today or visit