Hundreds of special needs children have no September place

Almost 300 children with a statement of Special Educational Needs (SEN) are still without a school place for September.

That means that more than 10% of statemented children seeking a place this year do not yet have one.

The Education Authority (EA) said securing them a school place was a "key priority".

BBC News NI understands the pressure for places is most acute in schools in the greater Belfast area.

According to statistics from the Department of Education (DE), more than 19,000 school pupils in Northern Ireland have a statement of SEN.

A statement sets out a description of a child's needs and the help that is required to meet them.

About 6,000 pupils attend special schools while more than 2,000 attend specialist learning support centres in primary and post-primary schools.

The EA had, as of Tuesday 23 June, placed 2,206 children with statements in special or mainstream schools or specialist learning units in schools for the 2020/21 school year.

However, that leaves 285 statemented pupils without a place for the start of the new term, even though the end of the 2019/20 school year is only days away.

More than half of those - 156 children - are still waiting for a place specifically in a special school.

And officials have been unable to guarantee that every child with special educational needs will have a place in school in September.

Una Turbit, the Education Authority's interim director of children and young peoples services, told Stormont's Education Committee they are dealing with it as a matter of urgency.

"It is a challenge and we're working with special school principals to increase capacity."

She also told the committee there were particular challenges in areas like Belfast and Newry, adding: "There is clearly a need for special school places."

When asked if there is a risk that any of the pupils will not have a special school place in September, the EA's chief executive said: "It's difficult to say at this point."

He said a meeting will be held with departmental officials tomorrow around securing additional capacity.

Committee chair Chris Lyttle said that answer was "slightly concerning".

Earlier in the meeting, Education Minister Peter Weir also said it is an issue that "greatly concerns" him, adding: "We want to take action to ensure every child is placed."

Colette Stewart's eight-year-old son Harry is due to transfer from Oakwood Special School in Belfast to another special school in Belfast.

Harry has a chromosome disorder, is autistic and also non-verbal.

As Oakwood is for pupils between three and eight years of age, Harry is due to move to another special school but neither of the two he has applied to go to have a place for him.

Ms Stewart said that was creating significant stress for Harry and the rest of his family.

"Harry is a lovely boy. He has a severe learning disability and his diagnosis is that he has a rare chromosome deletion and he also has autism," she said.

Harry is also non-verbal so school is important in teaching him to communicate, according to Ms Stewart.

"School is incredibly important for someone like Harry," she said.

"He has a right to an education like any other child and he also needs early intervention - getting him in there, getting him skills, getting the things that he is able to do as soon as possible.

"He needs the routine of school, he needs to be able to have that as part of his day.

"School gives him that structure and that security to be able to develop the best way that he can.

"We've already had three months of lockdown where he's already had his routine taken away from him, although we've tried to put in some structure at home."

"To reduce things like anxiety, he'd need to visit the school in advance and have pictures of the school," she added.

"He works with a communication book where he would point at a picture and at the moment we've just got a blank space where Harry's school would be.

She said it was a "very scary and very worrying situation".

"We don't want anything more than what any other parent wants for their child," she added.

A spokesperson for the EA said securing appropriate school placements for children with a statement of special educational needs was a "key priority".

"We are continuing to work with the remaining 285 families to secure a suitable placement in advance of the new academic year," they said.

"Whilst we appreciate that both children and their parents are eager to confirm their placement, it is important that we take the time to identify and secure a placement that will best meet the individual needs of each child."