Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools (PINS) is a programme that brings together health, education specialists and expert parent carers (through East Yorkshire Parent Carer Forum) to support and shape whole school SEND provision to improve the school experience for children who may have an additional educational need.
The PINS project aims to enhance outcomes for children in primary schools by providing support at a whole school level with joint working between education, health, and parent carers through partnerships with the local parent carer forums.
PINS aims to:
- Make schools more inclusive of every child (and family), including those who are neurodiverse,
- Help shape the whole school SEND provision,
- Provide early interventions at a school level,
- Upskill school staff to be able to identify and support children,
- Support strengthening of partnerships between schools and parent carers,
- To give parent carers opportunities to access peer support, training, and information via the East Yorkshire Parent Carer Forum.
In the East Riding, the funding given will allow 7 primary schools within our city to be part of this project, and the schools were identified using data gathered by the Local Authority (LA), Health and feedback from the EYPCF.
The primary schools selected are:
- Acre Heads
- Croxby
- Kingsway
- Market Weighton Infants
- Newport
- Skirlaugh
- Thorngumbald
As part of the project, the above schools will each receive 5 days (equivalent in hours/sessions) of FREE training delivered by qualified professionals/organisations to support needs identified from the nationally agreed self-assessment tool.
EYPCF are holding a Project Launch Day in September bringing together representatives from the selected schools, with parents of children at those schools, the LA, health colleagues and other services.
This day will offer the opportunity to:
- Meet with the Forum representatives,
- Network with other Schools and parents who are taking part in the project,
- Gather information and be signposted to other organisations who can give advice and support,
- Meet other services, ask questions and get information,
- Give your feedback to East Yorkshire PCF which will be used to inform future shaping of services.
As part of the launch day, we are delighted to share that we will be joined by Catrina Lowri, a Neurodiversity and inclusion trainer, mentor, and consultant.
An expert by experience; being neurodivergent herself, coupled with her knowledge and experience as a SEN teacher and SENCO, she has vast understanding and expertise to share. Catrina’s work includes supporting educational provisions to find workable solutions to neuro-inclusive practice by delivering training or intensive support to schools.
We are very privileged for Catrina to share her insight through a presentation and workshop for school staff and parents.
More details and invites will be sent later to school personnel and parents at the schools named above, and we look forward to meeting you at this launch event.