Leading inclusion with intention: Insights from the BELMAS inclusion leadership RIG launch

This report reflects on the relaunch of the Inclusion Leadership Research Interest Group (IL RIG) under the British Educational Leadership, Management and Administration Society (BELMAS), which took place on 4 April 2025. The event featured a keynote address by Professor Mel Ainscow CBE, who shared insights from his decades of international work on inclusive education. Drawing on stories and research, Ainscow emphasised that inclusion is not a fixed outcome but an evolving process rooted in values, collaboration, and system-wide change. He challenged deficit-based models of inclusion and urged schools to focus on removing contextual barriers such as rigid curricula, narrow assessments, and teacher mindsets rather than attempting to “fix” learners. The report introduces Ainscow's “ecology of equity” framework, which highlights three domains for inclusive development: within schools, between schools, and beyond the school gate. Key messages include the importance of time as a resource for professional learning, the role of collective will in driving inclusive reform, and the significance of relationships and trust in enabling inter-school collaboration. The piece also reflects on the broader goals of the Inclusion Leadership RIG which are to build a global community of researchers and practitioners focused on inclusive leadership, particularly for those traditionally marginalised in education. It concludes with a reaffirmation that inclusive leadership is a cultural, not just technical, endeavour. It requires a shared belief that every learner matters and matters equally. The report serves both as a report and a call to action for more equitable and inclusive practices in educational leadership.