Little Zach is one of six kids with additional needs still without a school place in Northern Ireland
A three-year-old boy from Co Down is one of six children in Northern Ireland who still do not have a school place ahead of the new term due to SEN delays.
Zach Black has a tracheotomy and communicates through sign language and touch after being diagnosed with a congenital symptomatic hernia for which he underwent surgery while still in his mother’s womb.
Earlier this week, the day before school was due to start and after not hearing from the Education Authority (EA) since he was assessed for his preschool needs in early 2024, Zach’s parents were informed his case had been “missed” for an entire year. The reason given for this was “staff shortages and sickness.”
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Speaking to Belfast Live, the three-year-old’s dad, Dean, said his son is being “left behind by the very systems that are supposed to protect him.” He said: “Zach is a bright, funny, normal little boy who happens to have a tracheotomy and communicates through sign language and touch.
“Like every other child, he deserves the right to an education, to make friends, and to be part of a community. He’s not being treated fairly, he’s not getting the same chance as everyone else.
“It’s common practice for parents to hear about their child’s school placement as early as April, so they know months in advance what school they’re going to and can prepare. Whereas Zachary and the five other children with additional needs are always left to the very end, and have to wait extra months before we even hear anything.
“The real concern of mine is why are they being left at the bottom of the barrel to take whatever pickings are left and given to them? These kids are already at a severe disadvantage going into school with the disabilities that they have, be it cognitive or physical.
“The very institution in place to protect these children is putting them at even further disadvantage by giving them the slim pickings that are left. We don’t want any extra special treatment, we just want him to have the same opportunity and chance as a child to find out earlier.
“We picked mainstream schools, all that needs to be done for him is to have a one-to-one classroom assistant to make sure he doesn’t damage his airway, and to help him communicate with the teachers and other children. At the moment he’s non-verbal and only communicates through makaton.”
On Tuesday, August 26, they heard from the Education Authority that Zach’s case had been missed. The call came one day before the Education Authority announced that a total of 1,374 additional SEN places had been created for the 2025-26 school year, involving 29 classes in Special Schools and 128 specialist provision classes in mainstream schools.
However, despite this, they said six pupils have still to be found school places – including Zach. The EA said “intensive work is continuing to confirm provision for these children as early as possible in the new school year.”
Dean said: “On August 26, the day before school was due to start, we finally received a phone call. We were told that due to staff shortages and sickness, Zach’s case had been “missed” for an entire year.
“We were also told that the officer handling his case is now rushing to secure him a place before going on maternity leave. If she fails, there is no guarantee anyone else will pick it up. That is the level of disregard our son’s education has been given.
“It was the first time we’ve heard anything since early 2024. We were told that people would be able to do further reassessments of him to see how he progresses, but he’s a very different little boy to whenever they first met him.
“When they first met him, he was still spoon-fed on blended foods, he wasn’t as mobile as he is now. He’s now like any other three-year-old, he’s climbing on everything, jumping, eating whatever he can get his hands on.
“If you keep your eyes off him, he’ll be into the sweets. He’s just a three-year-old that wants to go to school and be around kids of his own age.”
Dean said the emotional cost of the delay is “devastating” for Zach and the whole family. He explained: “Zach is already falling behind socially. Other children are told to stay away from him because he is “sick.”
“He is treated as an outcast by kids who simply don’t understand, and by parents who don’t know how to teach their children to interact with him. Now the institutions we trusted are doing the exact same thing: pushing him to the margins.
“My partner and I do everything we can at home to support his development, but we cannot replicate the vital learning, communication, and confidence that comes from being in school. The truth is, my son has been failed — not once, but repeatedly, by incompetence, lack of communication, and sheer neglect.
“We have to fight to get any kind of help or support to get him closer to school. It puts pressure on us as we’re constantly trying to think of what we could be doing to help develop those cognitive skills, and those crucial early skills he’s going to learn in pre-school.
“We try to get him out of the house so we can take him to do things, but that’s going to be a lot harder now that schools are all back as he’s not going to have the same interaction with kids his own age. It’s incredibly stressful.
“This is bigger than just our family. If Zach and five other children with additional needs are left without school places this September, what message does that send to every parent in Northern Ireland about the value placed on our children’s education, health, and future?”
A spokesperson for the Education Authority said: “We are determined to resolve this matter and are very hopeful that we can do so in the very near future. In the meantime, we would reassure Zach’s family that we are – and have been – actively working to confirm a school place for him as soon as possible. We have had repeated engagement with schools over a number of months and this is ongoing.
“We have sought to keep his family informed of all key developments in the case, including contact this week, and also in July when the family underlined their view that Zach should be educated in a mainstream school. We support that position.
“The Education Authority fully understands the concerns and frustrations of parents with the SEN placements process. Similarly, parents will appreciate that in cases involving children with complex needs, it is important that schools are confident that they can meet those needs in a safe and appropriate environment. We believe that is achievable in Zach’s case.
“We also acknowledge the frustrations of families regarding communication about SEN placements. Often this is due to the absence of concrete information on a confirmed place. We have set out this week what needs to be done to expand SEN provision and end the annual cycle of delay, uncertainty and anxiety.
“We are also investing in improving communication and support for families, including a new centralised advice line, additional Link and support staffing and the planned creation of a digital portal for families to access information online.”
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