Partnership for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools (PINS) project

Partnership for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools (PINS) is a new national program which aims to improve outcomes for children and young people attending mainstream primary schools who are neurodiverse.

It is funded by NHS England in partnership with the Department of Education, Department for Health and Social Care and the National Network of Parent Carer Forums (NNPCF).

The program will bring health and education specialists and parent carer forum representatives into mainstream primary settings to:

  • Help shape whole school SEND 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 parent carer forums and integrated care boards

As the parent carer forum for Hertfordshire, HPCI has appointed two new PINS Officers and they will be hosting parent carer meetings at 25 Hertfordshire mainstream primary schools over the next two terms to hear parent carer views and experience of how all children (especially those with additional needs) are supported and included at school. They will also be collecting ideas about how parent carers can work in partnership with the schools to create inclusivity. The PINS Officers will share themes from the parent carer feedback from meetings and surveys with senior leaders at the schools and health and education specialists to deliver changes and improvements at the schools.

The goal of the PINS program is to leave a sustainable impact, building a legacy of closer collaboration between schools, parent carers, education and health.  This will reframe the focus of specialist input to how a supportive learning environment and well-equipped school can improve the outcomes for neurodiverse children.

The longer term goal as a result from the PINS program is to inform policy decisions, including how best to foster the development of whole school approaches to support neurodiverse pupils.

The schools involved are:

  • All Saints C of E Primary School & Nursery
  • Beech Hyde Primary School & Nursery
  • Beechfield School
  • Bowmansgreen Primary
  • Central Primary School
  • Cherry Tree Primary
  • Cuffley School
  • Dundale School
  • Feather Stone Wood
  • Galley Hill Primary School
  • Holy Family School
  • Laurance Haines school
  • Mandeville Primary School
  • Monksmead School
  • Mount Pleasant Lane Primary School
  • Oak View Primary & Nursery School
  • Peartree Spring
  • Samuel Lucas
  • St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School
  • Templewood School
  • Thomas Coram CE School
  • Westfield Primary School and Nursery
  • William Ransom Primary School