AQW 11786/22-27

Ms Kate Nicholl
Alliance Party
South Belfast

Tabled Date: 13/05/2024
Answered On Date: 23/05/2024
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Education for an update on the role of the Education and Training Inspectorate in reviewing (i) Specialist Provision in Mainstream Schools; and (ii) the statementing process.

Answer:

The Education and Training Inspectorate (ETI) has a statutory duty to monitor, inspect and report on the standard of education and of professional practice among teachers in relevant establishments, as set out in Article 102 of the Education and Libraries (Northern Ireland) Order 1986.

Over the past two years, ETI has evaluated the quality of education in a sample of Learning Support Centres, now referred to as Specialist Provisions in Mainstream Schools (SPiMS). The nature of this provision has changed significantly over this period due to the significant increase in the number of settings being established. A report of the ETI evaluation will be published in the coming months.

ETI is currently undertaking an evaluation of the statementing process, referred to as the Statutory Assessment Process. The evaluation focuses on whether the current statutory assessment process meets the needs of children and young people with special educational needs (SEN) in schools, with reference to the practicalities of the process and the implementation of the statement. The findings are due to be published in the coming months.