To ask the Minister of Education to detail any steps being taken to ensure that children with special educational needs living in rural areas have equal access to high-quality support and education services.

The Special Educational Needs (SEN) Reform Agenda and Delivery Plan sets out a series of actions focused on providing our children and young people with SEN, from all areas, with the Right Support, from the Right People, at the Right Time and in the Right Place. By tailoring support to the needs of individual children, we will ensure that geographic location does not impact access to the quality of support and education services provided.

At present, to ensure that children with SEN in rural areas have access to high-quality support and education services, the Education Authority (EA) Educational Psychology Service (EPS) allocates its resources strategically based on need.

Allocation is determined through an annually reviewed formula that considers 50% enrolment and 50% social deprivation (measured by Free School Meal Entitlement (FSME)). This ensures fair distribution of staff across urban and rural areas, aligning with identified needs.

The EA Specialist Setting Support Team (SSST) supports staff in specialist provision in mainstream schools (SPiMS) throughout Northern Ireland to improve outcomes for children and young people.

All the EA SEN and/or Disability (SEND) Pupil Support Services (PSS) provide training, advice and support within mainstream schools across Northern Ireland.