Partnership for Inclusion of Neurodiversity celebrates the programme’s expansion into 70 schools across Surrey

Posted by SCC ⋅ September 25, 2025

Filed Under cabinet member for children families and lifelong learning, Department for Education, dfe, family voice surrey, jonathan hulley, Partnership for inclusion of neurodiversity in schools, PINS, surrey county council

The Partnership for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools (PINs) has officially launched its second year, following a successful pilot programme.

PINS assists schools in areas such as early intervention, upskilling school staff, and strengthening communication between schools and families. It is a joint National Health Service England (NHSE) and Department for Education (DfE) programme, created to support the inclusion and participation of neurodiverse children in schools.

The pilot for the Surrey PINS model, which was delivered in close partnership with Surrey Heartlands ICB, Eikon and Surrey’s parent carer forum, Family Voice Surrey (FVS), ran from 2024 to June 2025 and has so far supported 41 schools in Surrey to shape their whole school SEND approach for neurodiverse children.

Now, the PINS programme is expanding to a further 29 schools in North East and South West Surrey – bringing the total number to 70 schools currently in the programme. This will enable schools to benefit from proactive partnerships between educators, health professionals and families all working together to secure the best outcomes for children.

To celebrate the expansion of this work, the PINS programme held a launch event at Esher Rugby Club, Walton-on-Thames, to welcome Special Educational Needs Co-ordinators (SENCOs), Headteachers, and Governors from schools that are joining the new phase of the programme. The event included key partners from Family Voice Surrey, Surrey Heartlands ICB and the Team Around the Schools Support Hub (previously known as the Learners Single Point of Access). They were joined by colleagues from across Surrey Education and Lifelong Learning who will be delivering the training and support to schools including Active Surrey, Educational Psychology, and Speech and Language Therapy.

Jonathan Hulley, Surrey County Council Cabinet Member for Children, Families and Lifelong Learning said: “I am overjoyed to see the transformation of the PINS pilot into a significant programme expansion. This programme represents our collective commitment to inclusion, early support, and meaningful collaboration across education, health, and family services.

“The initiative forms a vital part of our wider efforts as a Council to improve outcomes for children and young people with additional needs and disabilities. It places neurodiverse children and their families at the heart of school improvement, and empowers educators with the tools, training, and confidence to create inclusive environments.”

The programme champions family involvement through its partnership with Family Voice Surrey, ensuring that parent carers are not only heard but actively involved in shaping the future of neurodiversity inclusion.

Kate Goode, Participation Lead at Family Voice Surrey, led on the PINs project at FVS, alongside a team of project workers who are all parent carers themselves. Kate said: “Working on the PINs programme has been fantastic over the last year. It’s been a real partnership, it’s an excellent example of co-production with families, with Surrey County Council and with all the other partners. It’s meant that the families have really felt heard, and they have been given an opportunity to feel like an equal partner in the decision-making process for their child and their family.”

Barbara Tucker, SENCO at St Peters Catholic Primary School, Leatherhead was part of the pilot, and has become a passionate advocate for the programme. Speaking at the event, she shared her experience: “PINS gave us the confidence to reflect, adapt and grow. It helped us create inclusive spaces not just for children, but for families too. Small changes like noise-cancelling ear defenders available for any child at lunchtime, led to improved mealtimes and consequently improved concentration, and one of the most positive aspects has been our new parent-led coffee mornings and social groups which have had a big impact on wellbeing, learning, and connection.”

Attendees at the event had the opportunity to sign up for support and training, as part of a comprehensive offer created by the DfE and NHSE, with input from parent carers, health professionals, school and multi-academy trust leaders, educational psychologists, SENCOs, and specialist advisors.

Each participating school will receive up to 30 hours of tailored training, including Occupational Therapy audits, Speech & Language support, Neurodiversity Champion training, and Playground audits, ensuring that support is both evidence-informed and responsive to real needs.