The Committee is clear: “The Department must publish a definition of inclusive education and set out what should be expected of schools as ordinarily available provision.” Without this baseline, children face a postcode lottery. Too often, access to support depends not on need but on where you live.

This matters because inclusion isn’t just about specialist provision. It’s about creating classrooms where every child has the tools to participate. As one teacher told us, “myHappymind is incredibly accessible for children with additional needs… it has been great to see some of our children begin to understand how their brain works and how they can use tools to help them”

Building workforce capacity

The report calls for urgent investment in training and specialist capacity. Teachers and support staff are on the frontline but cannot be expected to manage without support. “Staff must be equipped with the knowledge and tools to meet needs in the classroom,” the Committee warns.

Schools already show how this can be done when they have access to the right approaches. One SENCO described how “our staff are able to work with children 1:1 and use techniques… to quickly regulate them and get them back in class so they can access their learning again”

Simple, science-based strategies embedded across a school build confidence and reduce reliance on overstretched external services. 

Early intervention and prevention

The Committee also stresses that “early intervention saves money and reduces long-term harm”. This is perhaps the most important recommendation of all. Supporting children’s emotional literacy, self-regulation, and resilience early prevents crises later.

Teachers see this daily: “One child, currently being monitored for Autism, was seen standing in a corridor using Happy Breathing to calm himself before continuing with a school trip. This ability to independently manage emotions is a testament to how embedded the programme has become in our school culture”

Rebuilding trust with families

The report highlights the urgent need to restore trust with parents, noting how “families too often face delays, poor communication, and must fight for provision that is their child’s right.” This adversarial culture helps no one. Programmes that create shared language between children, teachers, and parents make a difference. As one parent put it, “My child is neurodiverse and she uses the breathing techniques taught by school at home to keep calm… this has all been supported via the myHappymind ethos”

Why this matters now

The Committee’s vision is ambitious but achievable. It demands consistency, prevention, and accountability. And it matches what schools already tell us is possible when wellbeing and inclusion are built into the fabric of school life. 

One headteacher summed it up: “Weekly consistent sessions have had the best impact… staff have reported fewer behaviour incidents and pupils are now more able to regulate their emotions. myHappymind has been instrumental in this.”

The message is clear. We don’t need to wait for change — the building blocks of inclusive, preventative support already exist. What’s needed is investment and the will to make them universal.