Skip to content

Feedback
 
Give feedback Menu  Close 

Physical and Neurological Impairment Team

Who do we support?

For pupils who are progressing well in their learning with the aid of reasonable adjustments, we can signpost the professionals who support them to useful resources and other organisations who can help. These pupils may need support due to:

  • some difficulty with fine and gross motor skills
  • some difficulty with attention and memory, including understanding or remembering verbal instructions
  • some difficulty with understanding what they see (visual perception).

These pupils will all be doing well with minor support or adjustments in place.

For pupils who need a higher level of support to progress with their learning, education staff can contact us for a focussed discussion or assessment of how they can support a pupil's needs. These pupils may need support due to:

  • mobility needs requiring support from 1 or 2 trained adults
  • physical and/ or neurological impairment which requires a personalised curriculum to help the pupil progress with their learning; this may include significant difficulties with fine and gross motor skills, memory, attention and concentration, and fatigue
  • the impact of PNI on their social and emotional needs, mental health and wellbeing

What can you expect from the service?

Our support includes:

  • advice and signposting for professionals and families
  • advice on how physical and neurological impairment can affect education and providing strategies to help with pupil's learning
  • observation of pupils and written advice to support them
  • advice on IT equipment that might help
  • work with the occupational therapist regarding access and adaptations to schools and transitions between schools.

Case study from a PNI specialist advisory teacher

"Last year we visited a young person with severe memory issues, who was extremely anxious about taking exams, as he was able to remember very little of his school work under test conditions. School and parents were very concerned that the GCSE pathway was not the correct one for him. Through a series of visits we were able to advise school on a range of alternatives to GCSE exams; as a result the student’s family and school chose an ASDAN accredited course.

We provided resources and further information to school about ASDAN courses and the assessment process. One of our PNI advisors returned to school to teach an ASDAN lesson with the young person and with the young person’s support staff so that they would understand how to deliver the programme of study.

During a follow up visit, the young person had passed his course. He is now moving on to the next accreditation level."

How to request support

You should talk to the school as the first step before making a referral. You can discuss your concerns with them and you can work together to make a request for support. Most requests for support we receive come from the child or young person's place of education, as we work directly with settings to help staff to support the needs of pupils. Parents can also make a request themselves if they would like to.

Complete an online service request form

Baseline Assessment Form for School Staff only (PDF 270kb)

Forms must always be sent with signed parental consent.

What should be included in the referral?

  • The reason for your request
  • What you would like the outcome of the referral to be
  • Any additional information relevant to support your request.

We also ask for evidence of what strategies the school has already tried to support the pupil’s needs (the ‘Assess, Plan, Do, Review’ process) and this should be included with the referral request.

What happens after the referral is submitted?

Once you've made a referral, we'll make a decision about the level of support we can provide. This could be sending you resources and signposting to other organisations, a phone discussion or assessment, or regular visits by a specialist advisory teacher. A specialist advisory teacher will then contact your child or young person's place of education to take you through the next steps.

We look at referrals on a weekly basis and send letters out shortly after.

Page was last updated on: 28/11/2025 09:59:26