The Government’s 2026 Schools White Paper ‘Every Child Achieving and Thriving’ has been released, and it states “every classroom should be a safe, calm and supportive place where children feel they belong”
The goal is to help schools provide “calm, inclusive classrooms that welcome children with different needs, alongside high standards for behaviour and attendance”. They have pledged £200m for funding teacher training to support SEND in mainstream classrooms and announced plans for inclusion bases to be in all schools. But what does that look like in practice?
In principle, these announcements could have a significant positive impact on children across the country. However, that is dependent on how the guidance is interpreted and implemented.
The problem
Children are struggling in school more than ever before and as a result schools are seeing a significant increase in challenging behaviour, poor attendance, school refusal and permanent exclusions. This isn’t surprising if you reflect on the world our children live in now. Conventional play has been replaced by overuse of technology, gaming and social media. Many children are chronically sleep deprived and the number of those with poor mental health and wellbeing are increasing. Layer that with increasing numbers of children navigating adversity, trauma and SEN needs, it is no wonder we are seeing such challenges in school.
The truth is that the conventional primary and secondary school system doesn’t reflect the needs of children today. It serves a generation of children that no longer exist and although this has been true for several years, we are finally seeing the evidence day to day. If we truly want to make a difference in the lives of children, if our goal is truly to teach and educate- then the only option is to be brave enough to make changes needed. For too long we have blamed the children’s behaviour for the disconnection between their needs and the system. Silently suggesting that they are the problem when in fact, they are the victim of a system that no longer works.
The government’s recent paper and initiative have likely materialised due to statistics and data, but it is important to remember that the data, actually reflects human lives and real experience. There are currently 175, 900 children being home schooled in the UK today. That number has risen by nearly 40 %+ over two academic years. But why? Not all those families have willingly chosen to home school, in fact many home-schooling parents felt forced to make the decision due to concerns about their children’s mental health and wellbeing, unmet SEN needs, school dissatisfaction and anxiety about attending. Ultimately the children and families are now voting with their feet. It seems we have now reached a crisis point.
The whitepaper has an opportunity to create impactful change for these children and families but without careful thought and implementation it could also become another layer of guidance that increases pressure, processes and paperwork without changing the lived experiences of the children.
Transforming classrooms into “safe, calm, inclusive spaces” and creating inclusion hubs should be about less about moving children into an internal space and getting lost in processes and more about what that space is offering, and the training teachers have. The significant difference will be in environment that is created, the teachers in that environment, and the way children feel in the space. They can either be rooms with conventional tables and chairs, a few bean bags, books and games or purposefully designed spaces, created to meet the needs of the children, filled with soft furnishings, flexible seating and purposeful furniture that will significantly increase their sense of emotional safety and strip away the outdated conventional expectations and culture of a classroom.
The significant outcomes will be in the execution of these spaces, rather than simply having a space.
What do we need to consider?
We must remember that many of the children who would benefit from these hubs have struggled in the mainstream classes. This means that they are more likely to associate conventional classroom décor and set up with the stress and anxiety they felt in that environment. Their brains create triggers that remind them of feeling unsafe, so our job is to create spaces that are totally different. That doesn’t mean children are not expected to learn in the spaces. It instead means that our expectation of what learning looks like need to change.
Classroom design is essential because our environment impacts how we feel internally. The children will already have high levels of stress hormones in their bodies, be in a state of high arousal and be working from ‘survival mode’ which reduces their ability to use the part of the brain that helps them control their emotions, problem solve, reason, reflect and learn. The job of these inclusion hubs and classrooms is to use the space to silently calm the brain, reduce those stress hormones and encourage regulation through design. Equipping the child with the tools they need to access the part of the brain that will help them learn, retain and recall any lessons both with an academic and a social and emotional focus.
The staff in these spaces should have relevant training on Autism, ADHD and SEN needs alongside trauma informed practice. An essential factor here will be the opportunity for children to build health, safe, connective, secure relationships with the adults around them. The adults will need to play a significant role in developing the child’s emotional intelligence, giving them the tools to understand their emotions and behaviours so that they can manage them. The culture created needs to be less about ‘behaviour management’ and more about emotional regulation.
Designing an inclusion base or calm, inclusive classroom
Here are what we consider to be the key features and considerations of the environments created
- Prioritising movement and autonomy
Try to disconnect from your perception of what a classroom should look like and instead imagine a blend between a home, café and shared office space. Its 2026! Children shouldn’t be sat on uncomfortable plastic chairs or confined to a ‘classroom table’ for most of their day. That doesn’t reflect best practice, especially when you look at neuroscience, child development and real-life environments successful companies are creating for their teams.
Children learn best when they move around, in fact movement sends oxygen to the brain which encourages cognitive thinking and learning. The space should allow for natural movement between different learning zones, and the focus should be on helping the children identify where feels best for them to sit based on their needs. They should be given permission to have autonomy over the space and sit where feels best for them.
- Comfortable furniture
Be mindful of the furniture you choose. It is so easy to pick up that educational magazine with conventional classroom furniture and kit out the room with the same things you have used for years, but the truth is, children don’t like sitting on plastic chairs. They don’t feel comfortable or inspired in rooms filled with hard school tables, especially children with ADHD and Autism. We know because we have asked them! Many of these children already feel uncomfortable internally, the last thing they need is for the furniture to make them feel uncomfortable externally. Instead focus on finding furniture with natural wooden finishes, blend together different styles of tables and find chairs with comfortable padding or upholstery. Think outside the box and channel that vision of a home/ café/ shared office. That said, remember to buy educational approved furniture that has been tested to withstand the heavy use of children in a classroom.
As we write this, we know how hard this will be, we struggled to find anything outside of the standard offer for our rooms too and so in 2026 we launched our own range. Developed alongside real schools and real children, our furniture is designed for those who wanted to do things differently.
- Flexible seating
Although it is the norm to see one style of table paired with one style of chair this isn’t inclusive practice. Not every child wants to sit on a plastic chair at a table. Not every child can comfortably sit next to someone else. Not every child will be able to sit for a whole lesson in one place. These are outdated expectations that set children up to fail.
In an inclusion base or inclusive classroom, flexible seating is essential. This means finding different seating options to meet the many varying needs of the children. Some might work better sat on the floor, others sat up high. Some will need areas that allow them to ‘escape’ to feel safe, others will want to chat and sit socially. These different needs should be reflected in the furniture you use. Seek out good quality bean bags, floor cushions and pouffes for floor seating. High tables and low tables for learning. Sofas and armchairs for comfortable seating that feels like home- these are a game changer!
This will also mean re-thinking what ‘learning’ looks like. We have subscribed to the belief that children should be sat at a table upright to learn but that isn’t how we learn best. A child sat on a sofa with a blanket and reading a book is learning. A child lay on the floor focused on their maths is learning. A child sat on a high table by the window is learning. A child with their shoes off on the carpet is learning. Learning takes place when our bodies and brains are comfortable and engaged and that looks different for everyone, especially those children with SEMH or SEN needs. Children should be afforded the opportunity to sit however they want, especially if it helps turn their brain on!
- Calm colours and no displays
Conventional classrooms champion bright colours, laminated prompts, washing lines and working walls. They are also plastered with a display board on every wall. This creates visual clutter and increases anxiety and overwhelm for many children. Remember, these children are already operating at a high level of stress and are juggling many different needs, including sensory processing ones- the last thing they need is an overwhelming environment that feels chaotic and ‘loud’.
Children don’t need a room full of bright colours for it to feel appealing- in fact we have found the opposite. When painting your space, choose natural, earthy tones and calm neutral colours such as beiges, pebble whites, light greys, sage greens and pale light blues. Avoid primary colours completely. This will instantly create a feeling of calm and ensure the room is inclusive.
What about displays? My honest advice is to let them go. They belong in the past with the outdated furniture. Instead, opt for shelves with plants and lamps on. Photos of the children in frames and inspirational art you might find at home. I promise you, it isn’t a requirement of Ofsted to have displays (they have told us!) and it won’t hinder children’s learning at all. You can still provide learning prompts- just have them in folders/ caddies or on laptops instead.
- Prioritise zoning
The layout of a classroom space is just as important as the furniture you choose. Conventional classroom furniture restricts movement and floor space whereas flexible seating options reclaim it! Detach from the idea of students in rows and prioritise zoning instead. Think about how the room will be used? Do you need a calm area? A floor learning area? A place students can eat together? Do you need places children can escape to? Being purposeful about the space will bring you closer to being inclusive by design.
- Add regulation tools
One of the biggest signs that tell us children are struggling is challenging behaviour. It is common to see children who are being hijacked by their feelings and survival responses, and who have no healthy coping strategies to calm down. Both the teaching staff and the classroom space should be supporting children to regulate. The resources you put into the classroom can be a great tool in helping children self-select things to calm themselves down. This will reduce the likelihood of dysregulation, challenging behaviour and low-level disruptions. Quick wins are things like blankets, weighted teddies and calm lighting- but remember, these tools will only be effective alongside a teacher who is open to working in new ways.
In our therapeutic classrooms, children can get a blanket whenever they want one. Many chose to work with it over their legs and some drape it over their shoulders. Weighted teddies are also a great option and can sit on a child’s lap as they learn or cuddle into their bodies. This helps them self-sooth and offers a sense of security and safety and it gives them autonomy over supporting their emotional and mental health. This does however require the teacher to be comfortable with seeing children have this independence and movement in the room.
Finally, think about lighting. Many children and staff struggle with the harsh, clinical lights in a conventional classroom. Instead, turn them off and add soft, calm lighting in the form of lamps or fairy lights. This softens the space and helps children feel calmer instantly.
Closing thoughts
We have transformed a great many classrooms across the UK using these principles and have seen a significant outcome in children’s social, emotional and mental health which in turn has a significant impact on their academic outcomes. Children feel happier, safer and more settled in the rooms. School refusers begin attending school again, dysregulation decreases as does challenging behaviour. Eye contact, social skills and communication increase. Children are engaged for longer, with many engaging for the first time! Staff report quieter classrooms and comment on their own sense of wellbeing in the space.
Creating classrooms where children feel safe, calm and supported starts with intentional, purposeful steps towards change. Real, impactful change that directly impacts every learner.
Shahana Knight is a childhood trauma and behaviour specialist, educator, and founder of Therapeutic Classrooms and the Therapeutic School Approach. With over 14 years of experience working alongside schools, children, and families, her work focuses on neuroscience, trauma informed practice, emotional development, and the physical learning environment. Shahana is known for challenging traditional classroom norms and designing calm, inclusive, emotionally intelligent spaces that help children feel safe, regulated, and ready to learn. Her approach is grounded in real-world practice, informed by science, and shaped by what genuinely works for children and teachers in today’s schools. She works with schools, councils, and organisations to rethink behaviour, wellbeing, and learning, proving that when we prioritise connection, comfort, and belonging, outcomes change.
Listen to the podcast: Here
Join the newsletter: Here
Follow us on instagram: Here
Sign up for our free webinar: Here
Explore our classroom furniture: Here
Download our look book: Here
Download our information booklet: Here