To ask the Minister of Education for an update on any work being carried out to best meet the needs of pupils with persistent, and challenging behaviour, in Special Schools.

I understand that the Education Authority (EA) advocates for and encourages special schools to support pupils who display behaviours that challenge within an inclusive, trauma-informed and nurture principle-based framework of response.

The EA has advised that there is a tiered approach in place to effectively support staff respond to the range of profiles of needs within special schools. This includes the appointment of a bespoke behaviour advocate role within each special school alongside the ongoing development of a Behaviour for Learning framework in providing early intervention and preventative strategies.

Further strategies and programmes include:

The iThrive for Learning framework: partnership working across services within Health and Education.

A behaviour intervention officer role which is being trialled in a small number of special schools.

Participation in the Better Together programme which is an established whole school response programme in Special Schools.

Team Teach Ltd is an accredited training provider currently used by the EA to deliver training in restrictive physical intervention to staff within Special Schools.

A Special Schools’ Protocol was developed and commenced in October 2025 to support schools in managing very distressed behaviours of individual pupils.

All schools have a statutory responsibility within their scheme of management (The Education (Northern Ireland) Order 1998: Articles 3-6) for developing their own policies to promote good behaviour and discipline.

In addition, under Article 6 of the 1998 Order the EA is required to prepare a statement outlining the arrangements it has made, or proposes to make, for the education of children with behaviour difficulties. This includes arrangements for providing advice and support to schools.