To ask the Minister of Education to detail how the (i) planning; and (ii) allocation, of Specialist Provisions in Mainstream Schools aligns with his Department’s Special Educational Needs Reform Agenda.

The Department is committed to ensuring every child with Special Educational Needs (SEN) receives the right support and is placed in the right setting to help them reach their full potential.

There is clear strategic direction to tackle both the immediate need for SEN placements and the long-term transformation of provision across the education system.

The planning and allocation of specialist provision classes is guided by EA’s Strategic Area Plan 2022–2027, with Special Schools Plans of Action providing the roadmap for delivering the additional places needed over the coming decade. The Special Schools’ Plans of Action identify the need for over 5,000 additional specialist school places in addition to 6000 specialist provision places over the next decade, and projections show requirements could more than double by 2031/32.

EA’s planning also accounts for a projected decrease in overall pupil numbers against an increase in the number of pupils with SEN and the complexity of their individual needs.

The need for capital investment, however, continues to grow. Placements in the last two years have required investment of over £109 million, and the Department simply cannot meet this pressure and children’s needs within its existing level of capital funding whilst keeping all schools open and safe.

Securing adequate investment remains vital to maintain the pace of this transformation and ensure Northern Ireland's education system can effectively support all children to reach their full potential.