Initiative puts families at its heart to transform support for neurodivergent children in primary school
3 mins read
Thursday 6 November 2025
The partnership for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools (PINS) programme is transforming how primary schools across England support neurodivergent children.
This vital initiative brings together education, health, and parent carers to create more inclusive, supportive learning environments – making a real difference in the lives of neurodivergent children and their families. By placing specialist support like occupational therapists and speech and language therapists directly into schools, PINS aims to reduce reliance on external referrals and long waiting lists, helping children feel better understood, supported, and more engaged in their learning.
Many schools are now benefiting from this approach and have implemented strategies such as calm clubs, sensory circuits, and improved communication with parents. These are practical changes that help children feel more settled, included, and ready to learn. And feedback from families and schools involved in the PINS programme has been overwhelmingly positive. Parents feel genuinely heard and valued, and schools report improved communication, more consistent approaches to supporting children, and stronger relationships with families. These changes show that when families are meaningfully involved, the results are transformative.
Meaningful involvement leads to transformative results
Contact’s valued partner, the National Network of Parent Carer Forums (NNPCF) plays a key role ensuring participation remains at the core of the PINS initiative by representing parent carers’ experiences that help shape the programme. They also support local forums to deliver high-quality engagement with families, offering peer support, consistent messaging, and tailored resources. From running surveys, holding engagement sessions in schools to working directly with families, the tireless efforts of local parent carer forums across England helped shape training, resources, and school practices that better reflect the needs of neurodivergent children.
Contact’s head of parent carer participation, Kate Lovelace-Collins says: “At Contact we know that services improve when families of disabled children are meaningfully involved in shaping them. That’s why we are proud to support the strong commitment to parent carer participation that has been central to the PINS programme.
“The expertise that the National Network of Parent Carer Forums and local parent carers across England have brought to the initiative has been crucial and ensured that the lived experience of families is not only heard but truly influences the programme’s development and positive outcomes for families. The central role they play clearly demonstrates the power of co-production and participation in action, where families and professionals work together to build better support systems.”
Alongside the leadership of the NNPCF, Contact is supporting parent carer forums involved in the PINS project through one-to-one guidance and peer learning opportunities, enabling the sharing of best practice as the programme develops.
The PINS programme is led by the Department for Education (DfE), Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), NHS England, working in partnership with the National Network of Parent Carer Forums.
Find out more about the PINS programme
Read more about the PINS programme and the difference it’s making on the NNPCF’s dedicated PINS page.
