To ask the Minister of Education for his assessment of the level of experience required to apply for a teaching post in a Specialist Provision in a Mainstream School.

Specialist Provision in Mainstream Schools (SPiMS) aims to provide high quality educational experiences for the children attending them and ensuring they have confident and competent staff who are equipped to support children with special educational needs (SEN) is key to this.

Schools have responsibility for recruiting their own teachers. As a minimum, an applicant for a teaching post in a SPIM must hold a teaching qualification which meets the requirements for recognition to teach in grant-aided schools in Northern Ireland.

Each school then sets its own experience selection criteria using a template provided by Education Authority (EA), which includes ‘person specifications’ for teachers working with children and young people with SEN.

Governors select from a list of experience, knowledge and skill requirements relevant to the post and may add any criteria that are specific to the needs of the pupils or school.