6.6 Key messages

6.6 Key messages

Unprecedented growth in provision

■The growth in the number of special educational needs teachers has exceeded the growth of pupil/

student numbers in schools. This is mainly attributable to the larger proportion of students with special educational needs (SEN) enrolling in post-primary schools.

■The rate of growth in the numbers of special needs assistants (SNAs) in schools has been

unprecedented and is greatly in excess of the growth in the student population generally.

Quality of special education provision

■Inspection findings indicate that the quality of teaching of children with special educational needs

(SEN) in primary schools is good or very good in most instances.

■During the early phase of implementing the new special education teaching (SET) models, in a

minority of the primary and post-primary schools reviewed, additional teaching resources provided for the purposes of assisting the school in meeting the special educational needs of some children were not deployed in accordance with the terms of Circular 13/2017 or Circular 14/2017.

■Because considerably fewer post-primary SEN inspections have been completed, the extent of

inspection findings at post-primary level is somewhat more limited. Nonetheless, it is of some concern that the quality of teaching and learning at this level was just satisfactory in a significant minority of the lessons that were observed. Similarly, the gap in reported parental satisfaction with aspects of provision for children with SEN warrants further consideration.

■A number of important aspects that relate to provision for children with autism require attention

including enrolment practices, review of placements and the integration of learners attending special classes into mainstream provision.

Quality of DEIS provision

■The quality of leadership of the Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools (DEIS) action planning

for improvement process in schools requires improvement in a significant minority of schools.

■There is scope to develop DEIS action planning in relation to attendance, particularly in

post-primary schools.

■Post-primary schools in the DEIS programme require additional support to assist them in ensuring

that data and information available in the schools are used to best effect in the planning process.

■The learning outcomes of pupils in the target group were tracked clearly in only half of the DEIS

schools included in the SEN review.

■In DEIS schools, students’ attitudes towards Mathematics become more negative as they progress

through the school system. Addressing this will require the focused attention of schools and of the teacher support services.

■Support teachers were effective in enhancing educational opportunities for learners with behavioural

difficulties, but they need to monitor learners’ progress and achievements systematically; their roles and responsibilities also need to be clarified.

Other specialised provision

■The atmosphere and levels of care and pastoral support were reported to be generally very good in

Youthreach centres.

■While links between schools attached to special care units (SCUs) and the Children Detention Centre

(CDC) and outside agencies were found to be generally good, there is scope to ensure that actions identified in pupils’/students’ support plans inform teaching and learning.

■Emergency Reception and Orientation Centres (EROCs) were found to have provided an effective

interim response to the educational needs of children and young people. Issues were identified in relation to the transition of pupils/students to, and their integration into, local mainstream schools.

■Schools attached to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) units were found to

provide holistic and broad curricular and co-curricular programmes, but there is scope to develop their planning and assessment practices.

Figure from page 201