Six SEN pupils without places as schools return across Northern Ireland

The Education Authority says all schools will have to be involved in providing places for SEN children as demand for provision continues to grow

Six children with special educational needs (SEN) do not currently have a school place in Northern Ireland while another 100 may not be able to attend school full-time at the beginning of the new term.

The Education Authority (EA) has said that all schools in the region will have to be involved in providing places for SEN children as the demand for provision continues to grow.

Some 1,374 additional SEN places have been created in Northern Ireland schools for the 2025-26 school year, involving 29 classes in special schools and 128 specialist provision classes in mainstream schools.

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However, as pupils return to schools across the region this week, the EA said places still have to be found for six children.

A statement said: “Intensive work is continuing to confirm provision for these children as early as possible in the new school year.”

There are also potentially 100 children across 23 schools who may not be able to attend full-time at the beginning of the term.

The EA said this is because construction works are continuing into the new term as part of the “large-scale effort to create additional accommodation”.

The statement said: “The EA continues to work with schools to try to ensure that all children can access education. In addition to the usual phased induction to support new nursery and primary pupils at the start of term, bespoke arrangements will be in place for children and their families where there are delays, including alternative classroom provision within schools, structured home visits by qualified staff, stay and play sessions, or morning and afternoon classes.”

EA chief executive Richard Pengelly said: “The creation of 1,374 additional SEN places this year has been made possible by a sustained push. Just two months ago there was still a potential shortfall of 164 places.

“I commend all the work to significantly reduce that figure and thank the schools that have helped make it happen. However, much more still needs to be done.

“We have to move away from the annual cycle of potential shortfalls in places and create more certainty for children, their families and schools.

“That will have to involve working towards a position where all schools are involved in providing specialist provision – where SEN teaching is mainstreamed in every sense of the word.

“That can be done alongside continued investment to keep growing the number of places in special schools.”

Mr Pengelly added: “The overriding goal must be to provide the best possible education for all children.

“The level of need will increase again next year and that will require an increasing number of schools working with EA to provide inclusive solutions.”

It is expected that approximately another 1,000 SEN places will be required by September 2026. At present, only 26% of mainstream schools in Northern Ireland offer specialist provision.

The EA has said this proportion “must increase to meet the demands placed on the system”.

Earlier in the summer it emerged that Education Minister Paul Givan had written to 58 schools requesting their support with new SEN provision, but that only one had responded with an offer to progress work.

Mr Pengelly then wrote to a number of schools again requesting assistance, and said some may be formally instructed by the Department of Education to set up specialist provision because of the crisis over places.

The number of children without places has been reduced since then, but that has mainly been down to additional places being secured in schools which already offer SEN provision, rather than through new schools coming forward.

Figures published by the Department of Education in March showed that since 2017-18, the number of children in Northern Ireland with statements of SEN has risen by around 51%, while the number of children attending special schools increased by around 25%.

Total pupil numbers across Northern Ireland have risen by around 3.5% over the same period.

National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) national secretary Graham Gault said “complex systemic issues” were barriers to schools taking on more SEN classes.

Mr Gault said: “While we acknowledge the Education Authority has worked within extremely challenging circumstances to expand SEN provision, the fundamental issue remains chronic underfunding of education by the Northern Ireland Executive.

“The 51% increase in children with statements of SEN since 2017-18, compared to just a 3.5% increase in overall pupil numbers, demonstrates the scale of need that schools are being asked to meet without adequate resources.

“The fact that only 26% of mainstream schools currently offer specialist provision is not due to lack of will or commitment from school leaders.

“Complex systemic issues prevent schools from taking on specialist provision classes, and these barriers must be properly understood and addressed.”

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