Inclusive and special education in Ireland is currently at a critical juncture as it moves towards a more inclusive system. The Irish context is particularly nuanced and complex given the ongoing expansion of special class provision while meeting obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD). This research sought to gain insight into the current perspectives of school leaders in leading special class provision in the context of inclusion. It also sought to investigate if a community of practice (CoP) can support school leaders in developing inclusive school leadership (ISL) in their schools. This study brought together a group of primary school principals, who have special classes, to form a CoP to support principals in developing ISL in their schools. ISL is defined in this research as all leadership practices which address inequities to build a school community where all learners are meaningfully included. The CoP formed the bounded case study site of this qualitative research with data gathered from semi-structured interviews, audio transcriptions of the CoP meetings and researcher reflections. The study is underpinned by a conceptual framework that reflects a rights-based view of inclusive education, with a professional learning experience designed to support the enactment of ISL and evaluated using a professional learning planning and evaluation framework. Findings suggest that principals in this study view the current special class provision as a suitable model to support the progressive realisation of an inclusive education system. That said, there are also many challenges to realise a vision of inclusive education that is compatible with Ireland’s obligations under the UNCRPD. The findings also highlight the potential of CoPs to support principals in developing their understanding and enactment of ISL. The most significant output of the study is the resulting framework that can support the plan and design of professional learning for ISL.