To ask the Minister of Education to detail (i) the percentage of pupils that have (a) statemented, and (b) non-statemented special educational needs, broken down by each post-primary school in East Londonderry, in each of the last three years; and (ii) what provision exists for special educational needs in mainstream schools.

Provision for all children and young people with special educational needs (SEN) is met within the SEN Framework, which comprises SEN Legislation, the Code of Practice on the Identification and Assessment of SEN, and the Supplement to the Code. Within the SEN Framework, provision is matched to the individual needs of the child. Meeting the needs of the individual child remains the focus of the Special Educational Needs and Disability Bill currently passing through the Assembly. Together with new Regulations and a new Code of Practice, the Bill will form part of a revised SEN Framework intended to ensure that children with SEN receive the support they need to achieve their full potential during their school years.

The statutory responsibility for securing provision for pupils with SEN rests with schools, and the Education Authority (EA) which is responsible under legislation for identifying, assessing and, in appropriate cases, making provision for children with SEN.

The Code of Practice, acknowledging that there is a continuum of special educational needs, sets out a five stage approach for the identification of children having learning difficulties, the assessment of their SEN and the special educational provision necessary to meet those needs. Responsibility for pupils within Stages 1-3 lies at school level. At stage 1, the class teacher should provide or arrange special help within the normal curriculum framework. At Stage 2, the school will draw up and implement an Individualised Education Plan, setting out a child’s needs, what strategies should be put in place in the classroom and what support could be provided by parents at home to help the child.

At Stage 3, the school’s Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO) will work with the class teacher, outside agencies (the EA) and parents in drawing up and regularly reviewing the Individualised Education Plan. At Stage 3, referrals may be made to the EA’s Educational Psychology Service and/or other EA support services. The EA provides a range of support services, including Specific Learning Difficulties in Literacy, Sensory Impairment, and Autism Advisory Intervention teams. Stage 4 is the formal assessment process and Stage 5 is the issue of a Statement of SEN, where appropriate.

In addition to the Code and its Supplement, other guidance materials are readily available to mainstream schools and parents in relation to SEN, including:

a ‘Resource File’ which contains practical materials to be used by school staff in supporting pupils with SEN; and

the “Regional Good Practice Guidelines” which were issued to schools by the former Education and Library Boards in 2009.

The EA also runs a comprehensive range of services and provision to support pupils with learning difficulties, their parents/carers and schools. Examples of support for mainstream schools include:

advice, support and training to nurseries and some playgroups to support the child’s effective inclusion in mainstream pre-school settings;

advice and support from learning support staff who can advise schools on individual education plans as well as strategies that may be appropriate for specific children;

outreach support and teaching from staff that are attached to special schools for children at stages 3, 4 and 5 of the Code of Practice;

adult assistants, where appropriate, in mainstream schools for children who have statements of SEN;

access to placement in learning support classes that are attached to mainstream schools; this provides teaching in a small group placement with inclusion in mainstream classes, as appropriate;

access to transition services to support the planning of young people’s needs as they transition from school to adult learning programmes; and

access to counselling services as part of post-primary support.

The statistical information requested is provided in the table below.