To ask the Minister of Education for an update on placements for children with special educational needs for the 2026/27 academic year.

Ensuring every child with a statement of special educational needs has an appropriate school placement remains a primary focus for my department and the Education Authority.

Since 2020, circa 6,350 additional SEN places have been created in total.

273 schools, approximately 26% of all schools in Northern Ireland, currently offer specialist provision. There are now over 700 specialist provision classes operating across a range of key stages.

The EA's early planning for September 2026 identified a need for approximately 950 additional places. EA has been actively working with schools and has already initiated projects estimated to accommodate a significant number of additional placements across specialist provisions and special schools for 2026. The most recent update (as of 12 January 2026) is that there is a current shortfall of circa 365 places. The EA will continue to work with schools to expand SEN places and will continue to seek ways to encourage more schools to become involved. Reducing the cost and length of home to school transport, whilst enhancing positive integration across our school communities.

Throughout November and December, the EA held engagement sessions both in person and online inviting over 300 schools in high-pressure areas to explore the development of specialist provisions within their school community, approximately 90 schools attended. EA is working with those schools that expressed an interest at the events to identify solutions.

My department and the EA remain committed to the vision that every child with SEN has access to a placement, in their local community and with their peers.

This will require a fundamental shift towards a system in which all schools offer specialist provision classes.

In April 2024 I established the SEN capital investment programme to focus funding and resource with a view to proactively delivering additional SEN places and high-quality accommodation for pupils in both special schools and in specialist provision in mainstream schools.

It is anticipated that investment of circa £93m will be required to deliver the level of accommodation required to meet the demand for SEN places in 2026/27, a significant increase on both of the previous years. This funding currently comes from my Department’s allocated capital budget and, often at the expense of other, critical capital schemes across the school estate.