AQW 33583/22-27

Mr Nick Mathison
Alliance Party
Strangford

Tabled Date: 15/10/2025
Answered On Date: 28/10/2025
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Education to detail (i) any work (a) being undertaken; or (b) planned to be undertaken, this year under the heading Trial and Implementation of Special Schools as Resource Hubs/Centres of Expertise to support inclusion, within the SEN Reform Agenda and Delivery Plan 2025-2030; and (ii) what will be delivered by this project.

Answer:

The ‘Trial and Implementation of Special Schools as Resource Hubs/Centres of Expertise’ is an early priority action in the special educational needs (SEN) Reform Delivery Plan and one of 13 projects funded by the Public Sector Transformation Fund (PSTF).

This initiative will test the effectiveness of establishing Special Schools as ‘Resource Hubs’ providing support to local mainstream schools in supporting children with SEN via a ‘hub and spoke’ model, sharing best practice, in-class modelling and advice.

Engagement with Special Schools is ongoing and the selection of both special schools and mainstream schools to participate in this project will take place in November 2025. Following school selection, planning and recruitment of staff will take place in preparation to ‘go live’ in early 2026.