AQW 33165/22-27
Mr Nick Mathison
Alliance Party
Strangford
Tabled Date: 09/10/2025
Answered On Date: 27/10/2025
Priority Written: No
Question:
To ask the Minister of Education to detail any work he is undertaking to address the lack of suitable accredited qualifications available, for young people moving from specialist provisions in mainstream schools into post-16 education in mainstream settings, as highlighted in the Education and Training Inspectorate's report on specialist provisions in mainstream schools (part 1), published in November 2024.
Answer:
The Education and Training Inspectorate (ETI) report’s findings, of November 2024, highlighted that ‘In all post-primary schools, a range of general and applied qualifications were available to all pupils at KS 4’ and noted that ‘the evidence shows that the individual pupils in specialist provisions achieve well in these accreditations.’ The report also found that in a significant minority of the post-primary schools, the curriculum offer at KS 4 was not sufficiently broad and balanced for the pupils; staff reported that they sometimes found it difficult to offer a range of suitable courses to the pupils in the specialist provisions due to a range of factors. These are cited as a lack of specialist teachers, funding and a similarity of skills developed across some of the courses offered. I am committed to ensuring that all young people with special educational needs are supported in their progression pathways. Furthermore, my officials have initiated the first stage of a review of qualifications approved for teaching by schools in Northern Ireland to ensure that they remain relevant, fit for purpose, and meet the needs of all learners.
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