Partnership for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools (PINS)

From September 2024 to March 2025 forty primary schools across Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire took part in a new project called “Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools” or PINS for short.

The PINS project is a National initiative funded by the DFE and led by NHS England which tested a new model for supporting good outcomes in mainstream primary schools for neurodiverse students and aimed to strengthen parent carer and school partnerships.

Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools (PINS) brought 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 project focused on strengthening knowledge, skills and improving environments to better meet the needs of neurodiverse children. Through a focus on supportive learning environments and well-equipped schools we can improve the outcomes for this group of children.

North Somerset Parent Carers Working Together worked with 12 Primary schools in North Somerset to support strengthening of partnerships between schools and parent carers.

The list of 12 schools who took part in the PINS project are below:

  • Ashcombe Primary School

  • Becket Primary School

  • Crockerne Church of England Primary School

  • Golden Valley Primary School

  • Kingshill Church School

  • Mary Elton Primary School

  • Milton Park Primary School

  • Sandford Primary School

  • St Anne’s Church Academy

  • St Martin’s Church of England Primary School

  • Walliscote Primary School

  • Yeo Moor Primary School

Due to the success of the pilot project, PINS has been agreed for a following year with the focus being in 2 main areas:

  • Continuing to work with the existing schools who took part in PINS in 2024/2025 to help them to embed their learning and practice improvements

  • Expand the offer to 30 additional primary schools across Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire – 10 schools in each area.

    The 10 schools taking part in North Somerset are:

     

    Worle Village Primary School

    Parklands Educate Together Primary School

    Castle Batch Primary School Academy

    Locking Primary School

    Banwell Primary School

    Portishead Primary School

    Flax Bourton Church of England Primary School

    St Nicholas’ Chantry Church of England Primary School

    Churchill Primary School

    St Georges Church School

     

    We look forward to working with parent carers and the Senior Leadership Team in each school throughout the project.