AQW 25380/22-27 Written question to the Minister of Education

To ask the Minister of Education to detail the number of appropriate school places that need to be found for children with a statement of special educational need for September 2025.

Asked by Michelle Guy MLA on 31 March 2025

  • Answered
  • Written
  • After due date
  • Priority
Tabled
31 March 2025
Answer due by
3 April 2025
Answered
8 April 20258 days after tabling
Department
Department of Education
Priority question
Yes

Answer

The Education Authority (EA) has advised that:

Early planning assumptions for September 2025 showed that there was a need for circa 1300 places. While the EA has worked to increase the majority of this capacity across the school estate, there is an assumed pressure of circa 400 places remaining in advance of the new academic year.

The EA has now commenced a more intensive round of engagements, prior to Easter, with those schools in areas with the greatest demand for capacity to secure the remaining placements in advance of the new academic year.

Official sources