AQW 32353/22-27

Mr Nick Mathison
Alliance Party
Strangford

Tabled Date: 30/09/2025
Answered On Date: 06/10/2025
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Education to detail (i) the legal status of the revised code of practice on the identification and assessment of special educational needs; and (ii) how it is applied in decision-making by the Education Authority and schools.

Answer:

The draft code of practice has no legal status.

The Education Authority has advised that, schools must continue to have regard to the 1998 SEN Code of Practice and its 2005 supplement in all respects with the exception of recording children with SEN under the new three stages, as outlined in DE Circular 2021/06.