Archbishop Courtenay Primary School
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...our richly unique and diverse children...
Our Inclusion Vision
Understanding Inclusion
PINs Project
As you may already be aware, our school has been chosen to be part of the PINS pilot
project. Please see these FAQs about the pilot.
In Kent, 20 Maidstone schools have been chosen to take part in an innovative project to
improve experiences for neurodivergent pupils in school.
The project, led by NHS Kent and Medway, Kent County Council (KCC) and Medway
Council, will trial a new national programme called Partnerships for Inclusion of
Neurodiversity in Schools (PINS) and will run until March 2025.
Archbishop Courtenay Primary School will have access to education and health specialists and the local
parent carer forums to provide extra support for their workforce development programmes.
This will enable schools to further develop their inclusive cultures and environments for
neurodivergent children.
Kent Parents and Carers Together (PACT) will work to strengthen relationships between
schools and parents and carers of neurodivergent children in their schools. Parents will have
the opportunity to share their views and ask questions at coffee mornings, focus groups and
via parent surveys. Kent PACT will share this feedback with local authority and school
leaders at regular meetings, acting as a voice for parents and carers. Kent PACT have already been in to school this week for our first coffee morning and will be coming into school regularly from now until March 2025, so please do look out for details of these sessions.
Our aim is to work with our staff and parents to establish working groups that can continue to grow and support the school community and raise awareness of neurodiversity after the pilot has ended. PINS is a whole-school approach and requires everyone’s input to ensure that it is successful and fully inclusive. We want to hear every parent’s voice so please let us know if you would like to know more SENCO@abc.aquilatrust.co.uk
This is me
his is Me’ is a new tool being rolled out in schools that looks at a child’s strengths and needs, focussing on neurodivergence. It will help everyone to understand a child’s differences and meet their needs at home and at school.
A neurodivergent child’s brain processes information in a different way to others. They may have sensory differences, difficulty sleeping or adapting to a change in routine. They could find it hard to sit still, make friends or say how they feel. All of these things can make school very challenging.
Working with schools, families and children, a trained professional will complete a ‘This is Me needs summary’ after observing the child and talking to them. This will not result in a diagnosis but will help the child to get the support they need.
A personalised support plan will then be created which can be used in a school or home environment.
If a child is waiting for an assessment for autism or ADHD, they will not lose their place on the waiting list by taking part in ‘This is Me’.
When ‘This is Me’ has been introduced in a school, it will be the only method of referral for an autism or ADHD assessment. This means a child will get access to support from a new community team long before they have an assessment, which may not be needed once the support is in place.
Many children will not need a diagnosis as ‘This is Me’ provides personalised support based on a child’s needs.
If you have any queries about Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) please contact our SEND Co-ordinator (SENDCO), Mrs Jewell
Tel: 01622 754666
Email: senco@abc.aquilatrust.co.uk