What was the project about?
The Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools, known as PINS, was a national project focused on improving support for neurodivergent pupils in mainstream primary schools.
The project aimed to help schools better understand, identify and respond to the needs of neurodivergent children. It also focused on strengthening relationships between schools and parent carers, so that family experiences and views could help shape support within school communities.
PINS was funded by the Department for Education (DfE), with support from the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and NHS England (NHSE). The programme ran for two years.
In the first year, the project aimed to involve around 40 primary schools in each Integrated Care Board area, representing approximately 10% of primary schools across England. In the second year, a further 20 schools were added in each area.
In Nottinghamshire, NPCF supported the parent carer involvement part of the project. This included working with participating schools to hear from parent carers, gather feedback, identify common themes and share anonymised parent carer experiences with schools and project partners.
Year 1: 2024-2025
The PINS project in Nottinghamshire ran from September 2024 to March 2025. It involved 40 primary schools across all seven districts in Nottinghamshire.
The schools varied in size, from smaller rural to larger primary schools..
Feedback from Year 1 was very positive. Schools valued the practical and engaging training sessions, while parent carers appreciated the improved communication and support provided through the involvement of Parent Carer Forum partners.
Year 2: 2025-2026
The PINS project continued into a second year during 2025–2026. Nationally, areas that had taken part in Year 1 expanded the programme to include more schools, while also offering ongoing support to schools already involved.
In Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Integrated Care Board area, 30 new mainstream primary schools joined the programme in Year 2. This included 20 schools in Nottinghamshire County and, for the first time, 10 schools in Nottingham City.
An embedding offer was also provided for the schools that remained engaged from Year 1, helping them to build on the progress they had already made and strengthen inclusive practice further.
What did the project do?
PINS brought together health, education and Parent Carer Forum partners to support schools to strengthen their approach to neurodiversity and SEND.
The project focused on:
- helping shape whole-school SEND provision
- supporting earlier intervention at a school level
- developing staff knowledge, skills and confidence
- strengthening relationships between schools and parent carers
- supporting more inclusive school environments for neurodivergent children
PINS aimed to improve knowledge, skills and school environments so that mainstream primary schools were better able to understand and meet the needs of neurodivergent pupils.
NPCF’s role in the project?
NPCF led on parent carer engagement in the Nottinghamshire County schools involved in PINS.
Our role included:
- hosting parent carer coffee mornings and participation groups
- gathering feedback through conversations and surveys
- sharing anonymised themes with schools and project partners
- supporting stronger communication between schools and families
- signposting families to information and support where appropriate
The parent carer groups were open to parent carers of children with additional needs and/or disabilities, including those without a formal diagnosis.
The groups gave families a safe space to share their experiences with NPCF, without needing to raise issues directly with school staff. NPCF then acted as a bridge, sharing anonymised themes and feedback with schools to help them understand where communication, relationships or support could be improved.
Although the PINS project has now finished, it was part of wider national learning linked to SEND reform and how local areas can strengthen earlier support, inclusion and parent carer involvement. The learning from the project continues to inform NPCF’s wider work with schools, parent carers and local partners across Nottinghamshire.