Following the success of Year 1 of the PINS project, Bristol Parent Carers are moving into Year 2, continuing and expanding this work across Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire (BNSSG). This work is being delivered in close partnership with the Parent Carer Forums in each area.
In Year 2, Bristol Parent Carers will coordinate PINS across 30 schools in total: 10 primary schools in Bristol, 10 in North Somerset and 10 in South Gloucestershire.
We will also continue to support schools that took part in Year 1 in Bristol, helping them to embed inclusive practice and build on the progress already made.
What is PINS?
PINS stands for Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools. It is a national project with NHS England and the Department for Education that brings schools, health services and parent carers together to improve inclusion for neurodivergent children.
The aim is to help children feel understood, included and supported in school, and to make sure parent carers feel listened to and supported too.
Building on what parent carers and schools told us in Year 1, Year 2 will focus on:
- Improving whole-school SEND support
- Helping schools put support in place earlier
- Building staff confidence and skills
- Strengthening relationships between schools and parent carers
- Offering peer support sessions for parent carers in schools
What difference do we hope this will make
Through PINS, we want to see:
- children feeling more settled and included at school
- schools feeling more confident supporting neurodivergent pupils
- parent carers feeling heard, informed and supported
- better communication between families, schools and services
- support put in place before problems become bigger
Each school receives tailored support based on:
- Feedback from children, staff, governors and parent carers
- School self-assessments
- Local learning from Year 1
Support is flexible and chosen by schools from a shared Menu of Support across BNSSG. This helps settings access bespoke support that fits their needs.
Get involved
More than 500 parent carers shared their experiences during Year 1. Their views have directly shaped the focus of Year 2 and will continue to guide this work.
If your child attends a participating school and you would like to share your experiences, please get in touch.
If you are a school and would like to find out more about future PINS work, or are interested in getting involved, please get in touch with Bristol Parent Carers. We would love to hear from you contact us here.
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