The Neurodivergence Task and Finish Group - report - Recommendations for mainstream education - February 2026

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Bintang

Neurodivergent children and young people face markedly higher risks of poorer education and health outcomes, including exclusion from school, reduced employment prospects, increased demand for mental health services, and involvement with criminal justice systems. The report links these harms to barriers that limit access to and participation in mainstream education, intensified by structural inequities tied to ethnicity, gender, and socioeconomic status. It sets out four priority areas and nine evidence-led recommendations covering identification, workforce development, learning environments, curriculum and assessment, plus funding, accountability, and commissioning.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages47

Reading Time1 h 58 min

AccessFree to download

Abbreviated summary

Priority One: Timely identification of strengths and needs

Recommendation One

Recommendation Two

Recommendation Three

Priority Two: Workforce development

Recommendation Four

Priority Three: Learning environments, curriculum and assessment

Recommendation Five

Recommendation Six

Priority Four: Funding, accountability, and commissioning

Recommendation Seven

Recommendation Eight

Recommendation Nine

Executive summary

Full Report

Annex A - Terms of Reference

Annex B – Methodology

Annex C – Engagement with the sector

Annex D-Terminology used in this report

References

The Neurodivergence Task and Finish Group: report Recommendations for mainstream education February 2026 Contents Abbreviated summary 5 Priority One: Timely identification of strengths and needs 5 Priority Two: Workforce development 5 Priority Three: Learning environments, curriculum and assessment 6 Priority Four: Funding, accountability, and commissioning 6 Executive summary 7 Background 7 Introduction 7 Priority One: Timely identification of strengths and needs 8 Recommendation One: Provide educational professionals with evidence-based valid and accurate holistic educational assessment, along with effective support tools 8 Recommendation Two: Introduce a ‘commitment to listen’ to parents/carers and neurodivergent young people and recognise where schools do this well 9 Recommendation Three: Develop clear partnerships for supporting neurodivergent needs between education, health, and social care 9 Priority Two: Workforce Development 9 Recommendation Four: Provide high quality professional development on strengths, needs, and support strategies for neurodivergent children and young people 9 Priority Three: Learning environments, curriculum and assessment 10 Recommendation Five: Allow more flexible forms of assessment and curriculum 10 Recommendation Six: Adapt learning environments and ensure behaviour policies are rooted in an inclusive school culture that values understanding, acceptance and curiosity 10 Priority Four: Funding, Accountability and Commissioning 11 Recommendation Seven: Develop a model to support strategic commissioning and planning for local authorities and health bodies 11 Recommendation Eight: Increase funding levels to schools to reflect the level of need within their population so they can support more neurodivergent children and young people within their core offer 11 Recommendation Nine: Develop clear and effective local routes to resolution when challenges occur 12 Full Report 13 Background 13 Introduction 13 The key priorities for enacting culture and systems change 16 Priority One: Timely identification of strengths and needs 17 Recommendation One: Provide educational professionals with evidence based valid and accurate holistic educational assessment, along with effective support tools 17 Why recommendation one is important 17 Practical steps to implement recommendation one 18 Recommendation Two: Introduce a ‘commitment to listen’ to parents/carers and neurodivergent young people and recognise where settings do this well 19 Why recommendation two is important 19 Practical steps to implement recommendation two 20 Recommendation Three: Develop clear partnerships for supporting neurodivergent needs between education, health, and social care 20 Why recommendation three is important 20 Practical steps to implement recommendation three 21 Priority Two: Workforce Development 22 Recommendation Four: Provide high quality professional development on strengths, needs, and support strategies for neurodivergent children and young people 22 Why recommendation four is important 22 Practical steps to implement recommendation four 22 Priority Three: Learning environments, curriculum and assessment 24 Recommendation Five: Allow more flexible forms of assessment and curriculum 24 Why recommendation five is important 25 Practical steps to implement recommendation five 25 Recommendation Six: Adapt learning environments and ensure behaviour policies are rooted in an inclusive school culture that values understanding, acceptance and curiosity 26 Why recommendation six is important 27 Practical steps to implement recommendation six 28 Priority Four: Funding, accountability and commissioning 29 Recommendation Seven: Develop a model to support strategic commissioning and planning for local authorities and health bodies 29 Why recommendation seven is important 30 Practical steps to implement recommendation seven

FAQs

What main risks to education and health does the report highlight for neurodivergent children and young people?

It highlights increased risks of poorer education and health outcomes, including suspension or absence from school, reduced work prospects, greater mental health service needs, poor long-term health, and criminal justice involvement.

Why does the report argue that equity will not be achieved by adding initiatives onto the existing system?

It states that equity cannot be achieved by simply layering new initiatives onto an under-resourced system, and it also warns against creating multiple parallel pathways that do not address underlying barriers.

Which priority areas and recommendations does the report propose to improve mainstream education for neurodivergent learners?

It sets four priorities—timely identification, workforce development, learning environments/curriculum/assessment, and funding/accountability/commissioning—with nine recommendations addressing evidence-based holistic assessment, listening approaches with families, cross-system partnerships, flexible assessment and curriculum, inclusive school culture, and models for strategic commissioning and improved funding.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Bintang