Partnership for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools (PINS)
The PINS project is a National initiative funded by the DFE and led by NHS England which will test a new model for supporting good outcomes in mainstream primary schools for Neurodiverse students and to strengthen parent carer and school partnerships. In
Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools (PINS) is a programme that brings health and education specialists and expert parent carers (through the Parent Carer Forum – Pinpoint) into mainstream primary schools to:
- make schools more inclusive of every child (and family), including those who are neurodiverse
- help shape the whole school’s special educational needs provision
- provide early interventions at a school level
- upskill school staff
- support and strengthen partnerships between schools and parent carers
- support and strengthen partnerships between Pinpoint as the parent carer forum and Cambridgeshire and Peterborough’s Integrated Care Board.
The PINS project broadens the scope of the Autism in Schools model to support a wider cohort of neurodiverse children in primary schools. The programme aims to provide support at the whole school level, with more practical work between education, health, and parent carers through partnerships with local parent carer forums. The offer of support to each school will be informed by parent carer views, and the programme will facilitate ongoing engagement between parent carers and school leadership teams.
PINS is funded by the Shared Outcomes Fund and delivered by the Department for Education (DfE), NHS England (NHSE) and the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC).
We have worked with 20 of our local primary schools to implement a raft of training, resources and guidance along with regular in school drop in sessions with the chair of our parent carer forum, SEND Family Voice.
The programme is due to end in March 25 but we hope to continue to develop and improve our support for our cohort of young children with neurodiversity.