FE colleges
Learner support, SEND and inclusion software for FE colleges and post-16 learners: the duties behind it, how the support journey works and what the pilot covers.
Overview
Built for the settings where learners need support to thrive
Inclusion Studio starts with England FE colleges and apprenticeship providers, with a school edition and workplace edition to follow after separate validation.
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- 29primary sources cited
In short
Inclusion Studio's pilot focuses on England further education colleges and apprenticeship providers. A school edition and a workplace edition will follow later, each validated separately.
Built first for
The settings the pilot is designed with and for.
Apprenticeship providers
Apprenticeship learning support software for providers: agree, deliver and review support with apprentices and employers, without sharing full learner histories.
Also designed for
Post-16 settings with the same support journey and their own context.
Sixth form colleges
Learner support software for sixth form colleges: the SEND and Equality Act duties, how the support journey fits 16 to 19 study, and where the pilot starts.
Adult community learning
Learner support software for adult community learning: equality duties, short and part-time courses, and why the pilot starts with other settings first.
Independent training providers
Learner support software for independent training providers: support learners and apprentices across sites and employers, and what the pilot covers.
Specialist post-16 institutions
Specialist post-16 institution software for learner support: EHC plans, section 41 approval, preparing for adulthood, and where the Inclusion Studio pilot starts.
Later editions
Separate editions that follow only after their own validation.
Later edition
Schools (later edition)
A SEND software edition for schools is planned for later. Why schools need separate validation, what is shared with FE, and how to register interest.
Later edition
Workplace (later edition)
Workplace inclusion software is a later Inclusion Studio edition. Why employment law and data boundaries mean it must be validated separately from FE.
Support works best when it fits the setting. A college learning support team, an apprenticeship provider working with employers and a sixth form all share the same core journey, but their rules, funding and people differ. Pick your setting to see how Inclusion Studio fits, or browse by role.
Which settings is Inclusion Studio built for?
Inclusion Studio is learner support software for colleges and apprenticeship providers in England, and the pilot starts with those two settings. Everything else on this page is either relevant but later, or a separate edition that needs its own validation. We would rather tell you that now than have you find out in a demo.
| Setting | Where it stands |
|---|---|
| FE colleges | Pilot focus |
| Apprenticeship providers | Pilot focus |
| Independent training providers | Included where they deliver apprenticeships |
| Sixth form colleges, adult community learning, specialist post-16 institutions | Relevant, after the core journey is proven |
| Schools, workplace | Later, separate editions |
What is the same in every setting?
Every setting shares one journey: understand what helps in the learner’s own words, agree a plan the learner has seen, record whether support was delivered, and review whether it worked. That journey is described in how it works and built from the capabilities on the platform page. Server-side permissions and roles apply everywhere.
What changes between colleges and apprenticeship providers?
The main differences are who is involved, where learning happens and which rules apply. A college learning support team often coordinates many tutors and in-class support, works with EHC plans and high needs funding, and plans transition from school. Read high needs funding in FE and school to college transition for the detail.
An apprenticeship provider supports a learner who is also an employee. Adjustments may be needed at the provider, at work and at assessment, and the employer needs to see enough to act without seeing the learner’s full history. Our guides on reasonable adjustments for apprentices, learning support funding for apprenticeships and working with employers on adjustments cover this. In Inclusion Studio, employer collaboration shows employers only workplace adjustments and their own actions.
How do I know if Inclusion Studio is right for my organisation?
Start with your current process rather than with software. The support process health check helps you spot where plans, delivery or reviews are getting lost, and the comparisons explain when a spreadsheet or your existing system may be enough. If you are an FE college or apprenticeship provider and want to shape the product, find out about the pilot. Inclusion Studio is pre-pilot: a clickable prototype with fictional learners exists, and the production application uses synthetic data only.
Frequently asked questions
Which settings is Inclusion Studio built for first?
England further education colleges and apprenticeship providers. The pilot starts with them because the support journey, funding and employer relationships there are where the product has been designed.
Can a sixth form college or training provider use it?
The same Understand, Agree, Deliver, Review journey applies, so these settings are relevant. Use beyond the pilot group would follow once the core journey is proven with FE colleges and apprenticeship providers.
Is there a version for schools?
Not yet. A school edition is planned for later and will be validated separately because schools work under a different statutory framework.
Is Inclusion Studio a workplace adjustments tool?
Not today. Apprenticeship employer collaboration is a limited feature for apprentices. A separate workplace inclusion edition is planned for later.
Help shape the pilot
We are working with a small number of England FE colleges and apprenticeship providers first. Tell us about your learner support and we will be in touch.