To ask the Minister of Education whether her Department or the Education Authority has considered placing a Specialist Education Unit in Crumlin Integrated College and if this has been considered, to provide a copy of the report outlining the decision.

The Education Authority (EA) has statutory responsibility for the planning of Special Educational Needs (SEN) provision.

As part of its wider Area Planning strategy, the EA developed and published SEN Area Planning Frameworks for Specialist Provision in Mainstream Schools (SPiMS) and Special Schools. When considering schools for establishment of specialist provision, the EA will seek to ensure that they satisfy the six criteria of the Schools for the Future: A Policy for Sustainable Schools (SSP), allowing for individual circumstances where appropriate. Accordingly the relevant criteria from the SSP have been reflected in this Framework.

The EA has confirmed that the SEN Placements Team has established a number of SPiM classes in order to provide a sufficient number of SPiM places for pupils with a Statement of SEN.

These strategic Frameworks support the implementation of the new 5-year Special Education Strategic Area Plan (“Planning for Special Education Provision” 2022-2027) (SESAP) and related Operational Plan (OP) activities and all documents can be viewed using the following links to the EA's website.

SPiMS: Framework for Specialist Provision in Mainstream Schools (eani.org.uk)

Special Schools: Framework for Special Schools (eani.org.uk)

Special Education Strategic Area Plan 2022-2017

Operational Plan 1 2022-2024

I would expect any SPiMS provision proposed by the EA to be considered in accordance with the criteria and associated indicators in the SPiMS SEN Area Planning Framework.