What is PINS?
Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools (PINS) is a national needs-led project being run across 102 Parent Carer Forums (including ours) within 40 NHS Integrated Care Boards and applies to those who are currently diagnosed and not diagnosed.
The programme brings together health and education specialists and expert parent carers through the Parent Carer Forum.
Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools (PINS) will bring health and education specialists and expert parent carers into mainstream primary settings to:
- help shape whole school SEND provision
- provide early interventions at a school level
- upskill school staff
- support strengthening of partnerships between schools and parent carers
The PINS project is testing a new model for supporting good outcomes in mainstream schools for Neurodivergent students and strength parent carer and school partnerships. The project will focus on strengthening knowledge, skills and improving environments to better meet the needs of neurodivergent children. Through a focus on supportive learning environments and well-equipped schools we can improve the outcomes for this group of children.
Each school in the programme will complete the nationally agreed self-assessment tool for schools to identify priority areas for support. Schools will collate the findings and use them to assess themselves against a number of high-level domains (including Leadership, Culture and Values; Mental Health; Readiness to Learn; Teaching and Learning; Environment and Communication).
The forums’ role is to introduce the principles of co-production with families. We shall:
- Facilitate parent carer participation group meetings with the identified schools. These will be open to all parent carers with children, in the school community.
- Facilitate the collection and sharing of parent carers’ views and experiences of the services delivered by the schools identified.
- Signpost information to parent carers to the providers in their local area, to inform their decision making and understanding of what support is available.
- Work with the school to identify and respond to feedback from parent carers in a solution focused way.
The PINS 1 programme started locally in September 2024 and is drawing to a close. The PINS 2 programme will commence from May 2025.
Below you can find details of the PINS 1 programme and the 21 primary schools which took part.
Meet Pearl
Pearl joined PCT in 2021. She is our forum Treasurer and Project Lead for PINS 1 and will be for PINS 2.
It is important to us here at Parent Carers Together to hear your voices and gain your invaluable input to this national project. Please do keep an eye out for communications from your schools, or get in touch via email to find out more- pins@parentcarerstogether.org.uk
We are happy to answer any questions you may have.
Which Schools were involved with PINS 1?
PINS Virtual Drop Ins
The PINS team invited the parents from all the 21 schools involved to attend any of our virtual drop in sessions which were held fortnightly until the end of March 2025. These sessions were held for for an hour between 1.30pm-2.30pm over Microsoft Teams.
PLEASE NOTE-the virtual sessions were only for the parents and carers whose child/children’s primary schools are part of PINS.
Parents can access the Teams meeting either by clicking on the blue button below or using these details:
Meeting ID: 340 589 565 071
Passcode: gpFMed
The Graduated Response
All children and young people learn at different stages, but if you have any worries about your child’s learning and development (referred to as the Graduated Response) within their nursery, school or college setting, the first step is to talk their teacher or key worker.
BCP Council have a webpage dedicated to the Graduated Response for:
- Children 0 to 5 years
- School age children and post 16
- Children not in a setting, or school environment