Collaboration that counts: how 20 Trafford schools are building inclusive cultures together

SPP Impact Stories

Collaboration that counts: How 20 Trafford schools are building inclusive cultures together

What happens when 20 schools decide inclusion isn’t just a policy, but a shared mission? In Trafford, Greater Manchester, collaboration is rewriting the story of SEND. Through the Schools Partnership Programme (SPP), educators are proving that when schools break down silos and learn together, inclusion moves from aspiration to reality.

Background

SEND Inclusion

Inclusion is increasingly recognised as a whole-school responsibility, not just the SENCO’s remit. But how do you turn that vision into reality?

For schools in Trafford, Greater Manchester, the answer is collaboration. Through the Schools Partnership Programme (SPP), Trafford Council and a pioneering group of 20 schools are working together to create environments where every learner can thrive. Their journey shows that when schools break down silos and engage in honest, evidence-informed dialogue, real change is possible.

Join the schools already benefiting from the SPP today

Why collaboration matters

Turning inclusion from an aspiration into everyday practice isn’t easy. It takes more than good intentions – it requires structured support, open conversations, and a willingness to learn from each other. That’s where SPP comes in, providing a framework for schools to move beyond compliance and embed collaborative accountability.

With the support of Trafford Council and SPP, these schools are laying the groundwork for lasting change. Their ambition? To create inclusive cultures where every child feels supported, valued, and able to thrive.

“There’s an excitement and willingness to get started and change the future of SEND for children in Trafford.”

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What schools have done so far

Forming clusters: 20 schools across Trafford have joined forces in specialised clusters - primary, secondary, and cross-phase – bringing together both experienced and new SPP participants.
Partnership Day: The recent Partnership Day was a celebration of opportunity and ambition. Schools explored their current strengths and challenges, set shared goals, and built trust as a foundation for ongoing improvement.
Shared learning: By engaging in SPP’s Reality & Goals exercise, schools reflected on their progress and identified practical steps to make inclusion a lived reality for every student.

Looking ahead

Practical Strategies

Schools will learn how structured peer review and honest dialogue can help them move beyond box-ticking and build a culture where every student feels they belong.

They will be using edt’s new SEND focused enquiry framework to help them first self-evaluate against their own current practice which in turn will allow them to work collaboratively with the Peer Reviewers within their cluster to identify their lines of enquiry and start the improvement process with a clear focus on impact and outcomes.

Inspiration

They will gain momentum and support one another in meeting diverse needs, identifying best practice within the cluster and wider partnership in order to learn from each other’s expertise as well as the evidence base.

A sense of community

With the power of working together effectively they will deepen the culture of trust, mutual support and ensure that the whole school community works together because inclusion is everyone’s responsibility.

Ready to take the next step?

Find out how your school can benefit from collaborative approaches to inclusion with the Schools Partnership Programme.

Join the schools already benefiting from the SPP today