NEW Inclusion Evaluation Template, Written by Cassie Young

We are pleased to announce the launch of our new Inclusion Self-Evaluation template, written by Cassie Young, Inclusion Executive Officer at Our Community Multi Academy Trust and an advisor to the Department for Education on Inclusion.

Designed to support schools in strengthening inclusive practice, the evaluation aligns with the Department for Education’s seven principles of inclusion that underpin the new Inclusive Mainstream Fund. It helps school leaders evaluate and develop:

  • Ambitious leadership and governance that embeds inclusion
  • Evidence-based support prioritising early intervention
  • High-quality teaching
  • Accessible and enriching provision beyond the classroom
  • A safe and respectful culture
  • Strong partnerships with families and wider services
  • Creating inclusive environments

With all mainstream schools expected to publish an Inclusion Strategy by 31 December 2026, the evaluation provides a practical, evidence-informed framework to identify strengths, prioritise improvement and develop a robust whole-school strategy for inclusion. As it aligns with the DfE’s seven principles of inclusion, it can also support in planning investment of the Inclusive Mainstream Fund allocation.

To explore the new Inclusion Self-Evaluation and see how EvaluateMySchool can support your inclusion strategy, book a short demo today:

Demo Request – EvaluateMySchool

Watch Natalie Packer’s Inclusion Base Webinar

In May, Natalie Packer delivered a fantastic webinar focused on effective inclusion base provision on behalf of EMS. Natalie explored:

  • Types and purposes of provision 
  • Key considerations in light of the Schools White Paper and proposed SEND reforms
  • Evaluating your Inclusion Base provision

For the next two weeks, the recording of Natalie’s webinar will be publicly available, so that those of you who missed it are able to access it. Natalie was part of the group advising the Department for Education on its Inclusion Base guidance, which was released today (25/06/2026). Many of the principles shared by Natalie are reflected in the guidance, so it is a must see for all those involved in delivering inclusion base provision!

Watch the webinar until Friday 10th July here: https://youtu.be/1czm7eVt11c

FREE EvaluateMySchool webinar: Improving outcomes for disadvantaged learners with Marc Rowland

Every school wants to close attainment gaps, but what makes the biggest difference in practice?

We are thrilled to share that Marc Rowland will be joining us for the second in our webinar series, exploring how schools can strengthen support for pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds, build more inclusive practice, maximise the impact of pupil premium funding and avoid common pitfalls.

📅 Thursday 9 July

🕒 15:45–17:15

💷 Free to attend

Secure your place by scanning the QR code or by clicking the link below. We look forward to seeing you there!

https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/5f5c295b-6aaf-4cd3-a2a8-d329863643f1@7620e3a6-086b-4bbf-a98e-efd4e1af92c5

NEW UPDATE: Track engagement and activity

We know that for trust and local authority leaders, having a clear and timely view of engagement is essential.

To support this, we have released an update designed to make monitoring activity across your organisation more effective and more accessible.

The update makes it easier to:

• Review recent activity on the EMS platform, including evaluation scores, comments, and actions
• Track evaluation completion rates
• Export engagement data in PDF or Excel format

Further guidance is available on our support site: NEW: Track activity and engagement.

If you require additional help, please contact support@evaluatemyschool.co.uk

FREE EvaluateMySchool webinar: Strengthening your Inclusion Base with Natalie Packer 

Join us for a practical and insightful webinar: Strengthening your Inclusion Base, led by leading SEND expert Natalie Packer.

This free session will explore what truly effective Inclusion Base provision looks like in today’s evolving education landscape. Natalie will break down the types and purposes of provision, share key insights in light of the Schools White Paper and proposed SEND reforms, and guide you through how to evaluate and strengthen your own Inclusion Base with confidence.

Whether you’re a school leader, SENCO, or part of a trust team, this webinar offers clear, strategic thinking alongside practical takeaways you can apply immediately. The session will conclude with a live Q&A, giving you the opportunity to ask Natalie your most pressing questions.

With extensive experience spanning national policy, school leadership, and international consultancy, Natalie brings a unique blend of expertise and real-world insight. As the author of The Perfect SENCO and other acclaimed SEND resources, she is widely recognised for helping schools build effective, inclusive practice.

Date: Monday 18th May
Time: 9:30 – 11:00
Cost: Free

Register here: http://bit.ly/4bYZHkd 

This webinar is open to all, so please share with your networks. 

“Compare” and “Track” updates are now live

Today we’ve released the latest updates to the Compare and Track functions on the EvaluateMySchool platform.

These enhancements give school, trust, and local authority leaders the ability to interrogate their data in greater depth than ever before, supporting even more robust strategic planning and informed decision‑making.

Watch the short video below for an outline of the key updates.

For more guidance on using the updated compare and track functions, visit our support site or contact support@evaluatemyschool.co.uk.

Look out next week for some exciting updates to the “Response Form” functionality!

New features coming soon

At EvaluateMySchool, we are committed to continuous improvement. Our Ideas Portal ensures that feedback from our users sits at the heart of every enhancement we make to the platform.

Building on the updates released to the Improve function last autumn, we are pleased to announce the next phase of development: significant upgrades to our Compare and Track functions. These improvements will enable school, trust and local authority leaders to explore their evaluation data in greater depth, supporting even more robust strategic planning and informed decision-making.

Updates will be released in the week commencing Monday 23rd February. Here is a sneak preview of what you can expect…

Compare multiple participants and dashboards at once
Track progress against multiple data points for individual or groups of schools

New guidance on using the updated features can be found on our Support page.

What’s next?

We will soon be revealing some exciting updates to our response forms, which can be used to evidence self-evaluation judgements or as part of quality assurance processes.

If you have any questions, or would like training for yourself or your team, please get in touch at info@evaluatemyschool.co.uk.

New case study: GEMS Education

Consistent SEND practice across dozens of schools is no small challenge—yet GEMS Education is showing what’s possible with the right tools, structure, and support.

“EMS has enabled schools to conduct
consistent self-evaluations aligned
with cluster-wide expectations,
ensuring transparency and
comparability… It has provided a
benchmark for all schools to work
against the same framework, opening
up discussions about practice in a
supportive and collaborative way.”

Stacey Bradwell, Director of Primary Inclusion

Our latest case study explores how EvaluateMySchool is helping GEMS to strengthen coherence, deepen collaboration, and further embed data‑informed decision‑making at the heart of inclusion across its schools.

Read the full case study here: GEMS Case Study

Platform updates coming soon

We pride ourselves on responding to feedback and suggestions from the schools, trusts and local authorities we work with. This means that we are continually updating the platform and ensuring it reflects what you need to make the biggest difference to your pupils.

Following the half-term break, we will be launching one of our most exciting updates yet, enhancing the action-planning ‘Improve’ function.

The new functionality will mean that in addition to setting actions against specific statements, you will be able to:

✅ Group actions into wider strategic priorities
✅ Tag actions (e.g. setting short and long-term goals)
✅ Create defined fields (e.g. setting success criteria)

These changes mean that it is is easier than ever to use EMS as the central tool in your plan-do-review cycle.

We will be releasing updated guidance shortly after the half-term break and hosting introductory webinars for new and existing users to learn more about the changes and how to make the most of platform.

If you would like more information in the meantime, get in touch at info@evaluatemyschool.co.uk.

Ofsted inspection framework: new evaluation template available

Since Ofsted published its new inspection framework last month, we have been working with former HMIs to create a new whole-school evaluation that aligns with the changes.

Our new evaluation reflects the expanded evaluation areas, the new 5-point grading scale (as well as met/not met statements for safeguarding) and the stronger focus on inclusion. 

Alongside the new whole-school evaluation, our existing inclusion-package offers a suite of discrete evaluation templates focused on ensuring the strongest provision in key areas such as SEND, disadvantaged, EAL, effective use of teaching assistants and specialist provision.

The new whole-school evaluation is now available as a template for existing ‘EMS Unlimited’ users (look for ‘Ofsted new framework‘). If you are new to EMS or interested in using this evaluation within your school or group of schools to support inspection readiness under the new framework, contact info@evaluatemyschool.co.uk for more information.

New case study out now!

We are delighted to share our latest case study, which explores how Oxfordshire’s SEND team is using EMS to drive school improvement. In this case study, Jane Elvidge, Lead Officer in Oxfordshire’s SEND Strategic Early Intervention Team, explains how her team has used EMS to streamline self-evaluation, analyse trends and identify common areas for development across settings.

Read the full case study here: Case Studies – EvaluateMySchool

If you are interested in exploring how EMS could support your school or group of schools, please contact info@evaluatemyschool.co.uk.

EMS collaborates with Whole Education and GEMS Education

On Tuesday 26th August 2025, EMS was delighted to support the launch of the Whole Education SEND programme for GEMS Education schools in Dubai.

Now in its second year, EMS is continuing to play a key role in this impactful programme, which puts collaboration and the mobilisation of internal knowledge at the heart of improving SEND provision.

Participant schools will use EMS to self-evaluate provision, analyse their data, plan for improvement and track progress over time. Leaders will use EMS to identify trends across schools, helping to inform strategic decisions at an organisational level.

EMS remains proud to support this journey, helping leaders turn insight into impact for every learner.