Up to eight new special schools to be built, Givan announces

Up to eight new special schools will be delivered in Northern Ireland over the next decade, Education Minister Paul Givan has told the Assembly.

Mr Givan announced the programme of capital investment for the development of facilities to support children with Special Educational Needs (SEN) across Northern Ireland.

It will require about half a billion pounds of capital investment over the next decade.

The minister said: “Today I am announcing the biggest stepchange to capital planning in education for a generation, with an ambitious and far-reaching programme of investment in facilities for children with SEN, which will transform the education and lives of our most vulnerable children and their families.

“It is simply not good enough that many of our most vulnerable children are being educated in ageing facilities, too often without adequate equipment and resources.

“Our special school staff, who work with our most vulnerable learners, need and deserve facilities that match their skills and expertise.”

Mr Givan said the programme would deliver up to eight new special schools over the next 10 years as well as new builds for a number of existing special schools, an extension and refurbishment programme for special schools, accommodation for specialist classes in mainstream schools as well as additional maintenance and equipment funding.

He added: “I have put in place an annual £5 million maintenance programme for special schools as well as £4 million to provide equipment grants to both special schools and schools with specialist provisions, to ensure they have the right resources to support their pupils.

“We are rightly proud to have wonderful special schools across Northern Ireland and we know the life-changing impact that a successful special school has on pupils and their families.

“I am, therefore, also announcing that planning of new build schools for Sperrinview and Knockevin Special Schools will begin immediately, as too will capital planning for the much-needed second campus of Ardnashee Special School.”

Speaking during ministerial question time later, Mr Givan said the situation with finding school places for all SEN pupils this year remained challenging.

He said: “The latest Education Authority planning assumptions indicating that almost 5,800 children with a statement of SEN require a change of placement for September 2024 with an estimated 1,000 additional places needed across Northern Ireland to meet this demand.

“There has been significant progress made in agreeing solutions with schools to meet this demand through the creation of additional capacity in special schools and using specialist provision in mainstream schools.

“Focused work continues to secure solutions for September 2024.”