AQW 415/22-27


Ms Kellie Armstrong
Alliance Party
Strangford


Tabled Date: 23/05/2022
Answered On Date: 15/06/2022
Priority Written: No


Question:
To ask the Minister of Education (i) why children with a statement of special education needs were not given notice of their secondary school on the same day as their peers; and (ii) has this policy ever been subject to an equality impact assessment.


Answer:
The transfer from primary to post primary education for children with a Statement of Special Educational Needs (SEN) is managed through a separate process associated with the Annual Review of that Statement rather than the Transfer Admissions arrangements.
The SEN Transfer process administered by the Statutory Assessment and Review Service (SARS) is reflective of the requirements of schools and the Education Authority (EA) to make arrangements for the Annual Review of children with SEN as prescribed in legislation, specifically the Education (NI) Order 1996 (“The 1996 Order”), the Special Educational Needs and Disability Order (SENDO) 2005 and the Education (SEN) Regulations (NI) 2005.
Article 4 of “the 1996 Order” also places a duty on the EA to have regard to the provisions of the Code of Practice. For that reason, SARS also takes cognisance of the Code of Practice on the Identification and Assessment of Special Educational Needs (1998) and the Supplement to the Code of Practice (2005).
The SEN Transfer process, as prescribed in legislation, consequently manages each child’s placement on a case by case basis, ensuring each child receives a suitable placement that will appropriately support and cater to their individual needs. Children are informed once their school placement has been finalised, rather than on a fixed date.
The Transfer of pupils with Statements of Special Educational Needs does not arise from an EA Policy. This process is administered by the Statutory Assessment and Review Service in accordance with the Education (NI) Order 1996 (“The 1996 Order”), the Special Educational Needs and Disability Order (SENDO) 2005 and the Education (SEN) Regulations (NI) 2005.