To be more than just a room, secondary school inclusion bases should be designed with a clear purpose to aid reintegration, says Arti Sharma  The expectation that every secondary school should have an inclusion base marks a significant shift in how we think about supporting vulnerable learners. The government’s ambition is clear: fewer exclusions, stronger mainstream inclusion and better support for pupils with additional needs. But a room is not a strategy. If inclusion bases are to make a meaningful difference, we must move beyond the idea that simply designating a space will solve deep-rooted challenges. Done well, these bases can be transformational. Done poorly, they risk becoming holding rooms – places where pupils are parked rather than supported. At nurtureuk, we have spent more than 50 years championing and developing nurture groups – the UK’s original inclusion-focused intervention. Decades of frontline experience have taught us a great deal about what makes such provision succeed, and what causes it to falter. Underlying needs First, purpose must come before provision. An effective inclusion base is not …