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Download the free LEANS resource pack and see our terms of use.

The LEANS resource pack for primary schools 

LEANS is a free curriculum to introduce pupils aged 8-11 to the concept of neurodiversity, and help them explore how it impacts school experiences. It is a teacher-delivered resource for the whole class.  

LEANS was developed with reference to school contexts in the UK and Ireland, but is freely available to users anywhere in the world. Currently, it is only available in English.

Our about LEANS pages have more details about what LEANS covers, what the resources are like, and FAQs. We encourage you to have a look before downloading the resource. 

About LEANS

LEANS in a nutshell

What is LEANS?

This resource introduces the concept of neurodiversity to children, and how it is relevant to their own schools and lives. It is a multi-session curriculum, with a mix of hands-on activities, storytelling, and factual resource items. LEANS was developed by a neurodiverse team of researchers and educators.

Why should a class deliver LEANS?  Better-informed, more accepting school communities can help make school experiences more positive—for everyone. LEANS’ goals are to change pupils’ knowledge about neurodiversity, their beliefs about neurodivergence, and the actions they take at school. 
Where should I deliver LEANS?  LEANS is for whole-class delivery in mainstream primary schools, to children ages 8-11 years. 
Who should deliver LEANS?  LEANS is a teacher-delivered resource, but it won’t be the right tool for every class. We provide a self-evaluation exercise within the handbook to help you decide. 
When should I deliver LEANS?  Delivering LEANS takes an estimated 15-19 hours of classroom delivery time, or about 1-2 hours per week over a whole school term. 
How can I deliver LEANS? 

The teacher handbook is a ‘one stop shop’ for developing your understanding of neurodiversity concepts, guidance on teaching this topic, and LEANS activity plans. It's a training course, in a book! 

The resource pack provides all you need to prepare and deliver LEANS. It’s all free of charge, but does require a time investment, especially the first time you deliver it. We estimate 6-8 hours for initial programme preparation, to work through the handbook content and the planning and safety steps it outlines. 

Terms of use: the biggest things to know 

The handbook and associated LEANS materials are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 license: Attribution-NonCommercial- NoDerivatives 4.0 International. 

  • You may freely print or photocopy the LEANS materials, so long as you do not sell them. 
  • You can adapt the LEANS resource for use within your own classroom, but you may not distribute adapted resources e.g. by sharing with other schools or posting them online. 
  • You may not use these materials, including the LEANS illustrations, for any commercial purposes. 

While LEANS is free, there are still restrictions on how you can use it. Please take a few minutes to read about what is permitted by this license, and to read our full terms of use. They include a short, plain-English explanation of what these terms mean for you, especially if you are a teacher using them in a school. 

Licensing information and terms of use for LEANS resource release version 1.0, June 2022.

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Complete the terms of use agreement form and download the resources

Attention for those using NHS and government computers/networks: Please note that a small number of users have experienced download problems on local government or NHS computers, due to security settings. You may wish to try your download on a personal machine.

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