Sign in Subscribe
Education

UK Government's Ambition for Neurodivergent Children

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

The UK government has outlined its goal to ensure that all children and young people with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) or in alternative provision receive the right support to succeed and thrive in their education and as they move into adult life. To achieve this, the Neurodivergence Task and Finish Group, chaired by Professor Karen Guldberg, is making recommendations on how to best meet the needs of neurodivergent children within mainstream education settings. The government is also investing in research and programs to strengthen inclusive practice and build teacher capacity to identify and support neurodivergent children.

Key Takeaways:

  • The UK government's ambition is to ensure that all children and young people with SEND or in alternative provision receive the right support to succeed and thrive in their education and as they move into adult life.
  • The Neurodivergence Task and Finish Group, chaired by Professor Karen Guldberg, brings together experts to make recommendations on how to best meet the needs of neurodivergent children within mainstream education settings.
  • The group includes experts in neurodivergence, special education, and mainstream education to provide informed recommendations.
  • The government is strengthening the evidence base of what works to improve inclusive practice in mainstream settings through evidence reviews from Newcastle University and University College London.
  • The 'What Works in SEND' research programme is researching tools that schools can use to identify the needs of neurodivergent children, including pupils with autism.
  • The Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools (PINS) programme is a national program backed by PS22 million of investment, deploying specialists from both health and education workforces to build teacher and staff capacity to identify and better meet the needs of neurodivergent children.
  • The PINS program is being evaluated, and the learning is informing future policy development around how schools support neurodivergent children.
  • The Neurodivergence Task and Finish Group, chaired by Professor Guldberg, will provide guidance on how to implement recommendations and improve inclusive practice in mainstream education settings.
  • The government is committed to investing in research and programs to support neurodivergent children, with PS22 million allocated to the PINS program.
  • The evaluation of the PINS program will provide valuable insights into effective practices for supporting neurodivergent children and inform future policy development.

Statistics:

  • The UK government has allocated PS22 million to the Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools (PINS) program.
  • The PINS program is a national program aimed at building teacher and staff capacity to identify and support neurodivergent children.
  • The Neurodivergence Task and Finish Group is chaired by Professor Karen Guldberg.
  • The group includes experts in neurodivergence, special education, and mainstream education.
  • The 'What Works in SEND' research programme is researching tools that schools can use to identify the needs of neurodivergent children.
  • The government is strengthening the evidence base of what works to improve inclusive practice in mainstream settings through evidence reviews from Newcastle University and University College London.

Sources:

  • Written answer from Catherine McKinnell Labour Newcastle upon Tyne North Commons (July 22, 2025)
  • Neurodivergence Task and Finish Group
  • Professor Karen Guldberg

Read more