To ask the Minister of Education, pursuant to AQW 29370/22-27, to detail any work being undertaken to (i) ensure suitable school placements are available in September 2026 for the 1,736 pupils with a statement of special educational needs currently identified in P6; and (ii) ensure appropriate contingency provisions are in place to provide placements for children of this age cohort who are statemented after the October 2024 census date.

The Education Authority (EA) has advised that:

A critical priority for the Education Authority (EA) is ensuring that all children are placed in an appropriate setting that meets their needs. In recent years this has been a particular challenge as regards children with Special Educational Needs (SEN).

While the needs of many children with SEN can be met through enhanced support in a mainstream setting, the requirements of children with more acute needs can only be met through either a placement in a Special School, or in Specialist Provision in a mainstream school (essentially a dedicated class with small numbers of children).

The EA have worked to increase capacity across the school estate and as of 30th June 2025, have created 125 new Specialist Provisions classrooms and 29 Special School classrooms for the new school year (2025/26). Whilst securing placement for this academic year is the key focus of our work at this juncture, early engagement has taken place with post primary schools across the region with number of projects already in planning to expand current accommodation in both specialist provision classes and special schools to support our children and young people with SEN transferring to these settings. EA will continue to liaise with Post Primary Schools in the incoming academic year with a view to increasing capacity for September 2026.

It is the vision of the EA to ensure that all children are educated in an inclusive environment in their local community, receiving support in line with their needs identified, to help them to reach their full potential.