Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she has taken to improve the inclusivity of mainstream schools for autistic and neurodivergent young people.

The government is committed to taking a community-wide approach, improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools, as well as ensuring special schools cater to children and young people with the most complex needs. The special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) code of practice is clear that education settings should put in support to meet the needs of the child or young person when they are identified. All children and young people should be supported within their education setting. All teachers are teachers of SEND, including autism.

To increase understanding of autism the department has a contract with the National Association for Special Educational Needs. This contract funds SEND training and provides support for the school and further education workforce, with over 220,000 professionals having completed autism awareness training since May 2022.

In November 2024 the department brought together a group of leading neurodiversity experts to advise the department on improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream settings in a way that works for neurodivergent children and young people.

The department has also introduced the Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools (PINS) programme, alongside NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care, backed by £13 million funding.

PINS deploys specialists from both health and education workforces to build teacher and staff capacity to identify and meet the needs of neurodiverse children in around 1,600 (10%) mainstream primary schools and supports neurodiverse children at the whole-school level. It is needs led, rather than diagnosis-led, therefore it includes children without a formal diagnosis.

The programme is being evaluated, and the learning will inform future policy development around how schools support neurodiverse children.