AQW 12527/22-27

Ms Claire Sugden
Independent
East Londonderry

Tabled Date: 24/05/2024
Answered On Date: 05/06/2024
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Education to detail the number of (i) primary pupils; (ii) post-primary pupils; and (iii) pupils with special educational needs that have been left without a school place for the 2024-25 academic year, broken down by constituency.

Answer:

The position as at 31 May 2024 is as follows:

6 primary school children are still to be placed for 2024/25:

Belfast East - 1

Belfast South - 1

Belfast West - 1

Foyle - 2

Mid Ulster - 1

TOTAL – 6

63 post-primary pupils are still to be placed for 2024/25:

Belfast North - 2

Belfast South - 4

Belfast West - 1

East Antrim - 4

East Londonderry - 1

Fermanagh & South Tyrone - 4

Foyle - 6

Lagan Valley - 1

Mid Ulster - 9

Newry & Armagh - 7

North Antrim - 4

South Antrim - 1

South Down - 3

Strangford - 3

Upper Bann - 2

West Tyrone - 6

Outside NI - 5

TOTAL - 63

60% (n.41K) of children with special educational needs (SEN) do not have a statement of SEN and apply for a school placement through the general admissions process and may, therefore, be included in the primary and post-primary figures above.

40% (n. 27K) of children with SEN have a statement of SEN. These children follow a different process for confirming their school placement whereby their school placement is named in their final statement of SEN. This process is highly individualised and the placement is based on the assessed needs of the child, in consultation with schools and parents. There are no opening and closing dates as with the schools admissions process, meaning that comparison with the general admission process is inaccurate.