In many respects, the architecture for a more inclusive system is now in place. The next phase will be about ensuring it is implemented with ambition, clarity and consistency.

Attendance targets alone will not shift the dial. Recovering millions of lost school days will require sustained investment, practical support and early intervention for pupils already at risk of persistent absence. The Pupil Engagement Framework will be most effective if it is accompanied by dedicated resource and strong delivery accountability.

The proposed SEND reforms are promising. As the government takes them forward, a careful and considered approach will be vital, bringing parents, young people and the education sector with it so that children with additional needs are supported confidently and consistently, and no young person is left behind as the system evolves.

We would also encourage the government to embed youth voice at the heart of delivery. Young people should not only be consulted; they should actively shape the development and implementation of these reforms. This means capturing richer data on student experience — nationally and locally — including belonging, safety, engagement and wellbeing, alongside academic outcomes. It also means creating structured routes for young people to inform policy within the Department for Education itself, ensuring lived experience informs decision-making from design through to delivery.

Greater transparency would further strengthen accountability. Publishing consistent data on off-rolling, internal alternative provision and managed moves would support families and communities to understand how inclusion is working in practice, while helping the system learn and improve.

There is also an opportunity to go further on alternative provision. A clear national framework to raise quality and consistency, alongside a commitment to phase out poor-quality provision by the end of this Parliament, would ensure that inclusion extends to the settings serving some of the most vulnerable young people.