To ask the Minister of Education to provide an update on school places for the 2026/27 academic year for those with additional needs.

My department and the Education Authority (EA) are working intensively to address the needs of children and young people with special educational needs (SEN) ahead of September 2026.

There is currently an estimated pressure of approximately 300-350 SEN places, and resolving this remains a priority.

Significant progress has been made, with over 6,000 additional SEN places created across Northern Ireland since 2020. In preparation for September 2026, the EA has managed over 300 site visits and initiated more than 100 projects, estimated to create over 1,100 additional places for children and young people with SEN across local communities throughout Northern Ireland.

Members are aware that I wrote to all schools in Northern Ireland on 24 February this year advising that I now require all mainstream schools which the EA considers suitable to facilitate Specialist Provision to engage constructively with them to put it in place. Since then, the EA initially identified 70 schools in areas of high pressure which potentially had capacity to offer Specialist Provision. In April, EA officers started an intensive period of engagement and consultation with these schools to assess their viability to proceed. As part of this site visits are ongoing and are focused on identifying options and solutions for Specialist Provision for September 2026 and beyond. This is in addition to schools that are already working with the EA to establish placements.