Change is required on classroom support

The EA’s public consultation on its Enhanced Support Model for SEN school provision is open until this Friday, 22 May 2026.

The proposals involve schools having more freedom to tailor classroom support to the individual needs of children and young people. That includes the development of alternatives to rigid one-to-one classroom assistant support where it is not appropriate.

Tomas Adell, EA's Chief Transformation Officer, said: “We are very pleased that we have received over 2,500 submissions to the consultation to date. There is still time for people to have their say and I would encourage everyone to do so.

“We will then carefully assess and take on board the evidence that has been presented as we shape changes to existing provision. As we have made clear, it is proposed that the Enhanced Support Model reforms would be phased in over a number of years, reflecting feedback from schools and families. To begin with, we would work with those schools already operating alternative models and build on that moving forward.

“Retaining the status quo on classroom support and wider SEN provision is not an option. The reality is that it is not delivering for most of our children and young people. SEN outcomes here do not compare favourably with other jurisdictions. We can and must do better.

“The current model is also not sustainable. This is not about reducing classroom assistant numbers but reflects the fact that continued rapid expansion is not feasible.

“The role of a classroom assistant will always be critical in supporting children with SEN in schools, but we need to be able to develop specialist support staff whose input is critical in supporting better outcomes for children and young people. We need to harness the experience of our classroom assistants and provide opportunities for their professional development and build career pathways. We also need to have a stronger focus on better resourced early intervention approaches that ensure that children and young people receive the right support at the right time, rather than waiting until they reach crisis point.

 “We also have to accept that there won't be enough people available to fill classroom assistant posts if they keep increasing at current rates. Indeed, unless we make changes, workforce gaps could start to reach crisis levels in as little as 18 months.

“This is why the public consultation is so important. We have a golden opportunity to replace an unsustainable model with an approach that improves outcomes for children.”

Information on the Education Authority consultation and how to submit a response can be found here: Enhanced Support Model - Public Consultation | Education Authority Northern Ireland.