AQW 17771/22-27

Mr Nick Mathison
Alliance Party
Strangford

Tabled Date: 07/11/2024
Answered On Date: 19/11/2024
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Education to detail the funding provided to special schools to facilitate extra-curricular activities.

Answer:

Under the Extended Schools programme, my department provided funding in 2024/25 of over £599k to 39 special schools to facilitate the provision of a range of services including (but not exclusive to) breakfast clubs, before and after school activities, literacy and numeracy support, parental engagement.

The Education Authority (EA) provides funding to support summer provision for special schools to 21 of the 39 schools via their block grant. An additional £655k was allocated in 2024/25 to enhance current provision and support additional provision across the remaining 18 special schools.

Programmes associated with special schools have been considered as part of the End to End (E2E) Review of Special Educational Needs (SEN) Special Schools workstream, the findings of which have been used to shape and inform a draft SEN Reform Agenda and associated delivery plan for transformation.