AQW 10678/22-27

Ms Claire Sugden
Independent
East Londonderry

Tabled Date: 23/04/2024
Answered On Date: 31/05/2024
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Education to detail the plans to extend Sandelford School, Coleraine, including (i) the extra number of pupils it will be able to accommodate; and (ii) the funding available for (a) construction; and (b) the recruitment and retention of staff.

Answer:

The Education Authority (EA) has advised that it is advancing a three-classroom modular extension at Sandelford School, with the tender due to issue in May 2024. To meet demand for placements for September 2024, the EA is also currently investigating the procurement of five rental modular units.

Sandelford School is also advancing in design under the School Enhancement Programme (SEP). The proposed SEP project will add approximately 1,400m2 of accommodation to the school, together with some refurbishment of the existing school.

Following my announcement (30 April 2024) for a Special Educational Needs (SEN) Capital Investment Programme, the EA will undertake a review of all special schools, including Sandelford School. The EA will undertake an Optimum Pupil Number Exercise which, together with the Department of Education (DE) projections for the area, will inform the longer term need for all special school places. This will allow the EA to take forward workstreams to ensure a sufficient number of places are available as part of workstreams to be detailed in the Operational Plan 2: 2024-2026 (OP2). Until the Optimum Pupil Number Exercise and site master planning exercises are carried out, it is not possible to determine how many extra pupils Sandelford School can accommodate.

(ii) (a) As announced on 30 April 2024, the scope and budget in respect of the existing SEP could be expanded to deliver accommodation at the scale required by the school. This is currently being explored further by the EA and the school.

(ii) (b) A resource allocation meeting will be convened between the EA and the Chair of Governors and principal of Sandelford School in advance of additional pupils being placed. An allocation of teaching and non-teaching staff will be agreed with the school to resource additional classes and ensure that the special education needs of pupils are met.