Partnership for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools (PINS)

Partnership for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools (PINS) was a programme designed to improve support for neurodivergent children and young people in mainstream schools. It aimed to create more inclusive school environments where children with differences such as autism, ADHD, dyslexia and other neurodivergent profiles can thrive.

PINs was a valuable process at Polehampton, offering an external perspective across the wider school environment. For school leaders (especially SENCOs), it can be challenging at times to maintain that whole-school lens while also responding to day-to-day individual needs of children, so this overview was particularly helpful in refocusing out priorities, in order to help every child Let their Light Shine. 

Refine the Use of Sensory Tools: 

Teach children to use these correctly in order to maximise their effectiveness.

The feedback around sensory tools was especially useful. This was already an area we had begun to consider, particularly in relation to ensuring resources are used appropriately and that children are explicitly taught how to access them. PINs provided welcome confirmation that this work was moving in the right direction and reinforced its importance.

Visual Timetable Consistency (Style/Use):

Create the same visual timetable across the school(s) to reduce cognitive load.

The recommendation around consistent approaches to visual timetables highlighted an area that had not previously been at the forefront of our thinking. This has now become a clear area for development.

Develop Emotional Coaching Strategies:

Equip all staff to manage in-the-moment conversations with greater confidence and understanding.

The longer-term focus on emotional coaching is particularly aligned with our trauma-informed ethos and our ongoing commitment to Therapeutic Thinking. It offers a sustainable and impactful approach, especially in the context of increasing limited capacity for bespoke 1:1 nurture provision. Embedding this across all staff will ensure a consistent language and shared strategies for supporting children’s emotional regulation, strengthening practice across the school as a whole.

Finally, we were really pleased that the skillset, approachability and dedicated efforts of our SENCO, Mrs Pierro, were recognised throughout the process.