AQW 21515/22-27

Mr Nick Mathison
Alliance Party
Strangford

Tabled Date: 29/01/2025
Answered On Date: 04/02/2025
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Education, pursuant to AQW 19810/22-27, to detail the rationale, based on a child-centred approach to special educational needs provision, for not including non-statutory preschools in the Learning Support Coordinators and Personal Learning Plans of the Special Educational Needs and Disability Act (Northern Ireland) 2016.

Answer:

The Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Act (Northern Ireland) 2016 applies only to grant-aided schools; however, non-statutory pre-schools are encouraged to have regard to the statutory code of practice which provides a clear and consistent approach to identifying and providing support for children and young people with SEN.