It has emerged that over 200 children with a statement of special educational needs in Northern Ireland are in a school that isn’t suitable for their needs.
A total of 233 ‘statemented’ children have been recommended for a change of school, according to Education Minister Paul Givan.
The news comes as the Education Authority warned of a “critical and imminent” need for all schools in Northern Ireland to include provision for children with special educational needs in launching the second phase of its Operational Plan last week.
The Minister had been asked in a written Assembly question by the SDLP MLA Justin McNulty to detail the number of children with a statement of special educational in a school placement deemed not suitable for their needs.
The Minister replied: “For September 2025, 233 children who have a statement of special educational needs (SEN) and who are outside ‘transition years’ have been recommended for a change of school placement. The Education Authority (EA) anticipates this number will change as Annual Reviews are completed.”
No quick change for the curriculum
The Education Minister is pressing on with his commitment to reforming the school curriculum in Northern Ireland, in what could see the biggest overhaul in a generation of what and how teachers teach.
It has been several decades since any major change has been made to the curriculum here, with many experts saying it’s well past its use-by date.
Paul Givan announced the formation of an ‘International Ministerial Advisory Panel’ of six education experts to advise on the reform of curriculum and assessment here.
The promise is that the net will be cast far and wide to assess the best practices in countries across the world.
“Each will bring their own international expertise and a wider global dimension to our reform work in the key areas of curriculum and assessment,” the minister said.
But don’t hold your breath for any recommendations. The initial term for each member is one year, “with the potential for extension for a further two years”.
All schools in Magherafelt were delighted to receive a personalised cake as a new range of bakery goods arrived in town. This one arrived at Rainey Endowed.
Cake expectations
There was delight at every school in Magherafelt last week, particularly amongst those teachers with a sweet tooth.
The surprise cakes, right, were part of a marketing campaign as Dougie’s Goodies arrived in the town bringing all their baking treats with them.
The cakes, all individual and featuring the badge of each school, were delivered on Wednesday, right in time to help staff get over the midweek hump.
Smart business with Dougie’s Goodies shared on every school’s social media platform.