STORY
The Government today announced a £9.5 million extension of the Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools (PINS) programme, bringing earlier and better support to around 300,000 children with autism, ADHD, dyslexia and other neurodivergent conditions. From September, an additional 1,200 primary schools will join the initiative, which trains teachers to identify pupils’ needs, improves parental engagement and boosts attendance, behaviour and wellbeing.
One in seven pupils is estimated to be neurodivergent, yet many miss out on specialist support, facing higher rates of bullying, suspension and absence. The expanded PINS rollout means that in total 2,800 schools will benefit from tailored training delivered by education and health professionals, enabling class teachers to spot early signs of sensory overload, social communication difficulties or emotional dysregulation and to implement bespoke interventions.
Schools in the programme host termly parent–teacher forums, ensuring families can feed back on their child’s support plan and feel empowered to work in partnership with staff. At Carfield Primary in Yorkshire, for example, staggered lunchtimes and sensory-friendly spaces have cut pupil overstimulation, while attendance has risen from 93 per cent to 95 per cent. Parents report that their children’s confidence, reading skills and peer relationships have all improved under the PINS approach. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said the move formed part of the Government’s Plan for Change to fix England’s broken SEND system: “No child should reach crisis point before getting the right help. By embedding neurodiversity expertise in every classroom, we can level up life chances and make inclusion the default, not the exception.”