Consultation on classroom support reforms

This is a long-term plan to deliver better outcomes for children and young people with special educational needs.

The current system does not meet the needs of the child in the best way possible and is under intense strain.

Under the reforms, schools will have greater flexibility and freedom to tailor support to the individual needs of children. They can move away from the current ‘one size fits all’ model with its over reliance on one-to-one support for children. This will mean wider and deeper support where appropriate e.g. small group learning sessions, use of different teaching methods, access to more specialist educational and health professional input. 

This will be a phased programme – and plans will evolve in the coming years with input from children, parents, carers, teachers and school leaders.

It will start with the launch of a public consultation later this month, giving everyone the opportunity to have their say.

Subject to the outcome of the public consultation, the next planned milestone will be June 2026 when a finalised classroom support model will be published, and new statutory assessment and statement guidance issued. Statements will in future be focussed on the individual needs of each child. In order to ensure on the ground flexible decisions can be made by schools, statements will not be overly prescriptive in terms of classroom support options.

Phased introduction of the new support model is scheduled to begin in September 2026 when all new statements of special educational needs will reflect the new approach. In this first phase, 40 special schools and 150 mainstream schools will adopt the new classroom support model. It will then be rolled out to different parts of NI in the years ahead.

Every child who needs one-to-one support will continue to receive it. The needs of our children and young people are paramount. This reform gives schools more flexibility to provide the most effective and appropriate support in each case.

Any changes will be introduced carefully and sensitively, through the established annual review process for each child's SEN provision.

There are concerns that a blanket one-to-one model of support does not meet the needs of the child in the best way possible and can unintentionally and unnecessarily isolate some children.  When a young person is consistently paired through one-to-one support, they may miss opportunities to engage and interact with their teacher and classmates, participate in group activities and develop vital skills including skills to prepare for adult life.

This isolation can often exacerbate feelings of difference and exclusion.

This is not about cutting costs, it is about delivering better outcomes for children and young people. 

The current system is at breaking point and cannot keep up with the increasing levels of need. We need a model that is delivering the best possible support for our children and young people and one that can keep up with the year on year rising demand. What we currently have does not do this and is not sustainable.

Even if there were unlimited resources, the current classroom support model would need to be changed. Of course, we do not have unlimited funding, and we need to ensure that we use available resources in the most effective way.

The priority must be to provide the right support in the right place at the right time.

Classroom assistants play an essential role in schools right across NI. There would not be an education system without them. Many children would not be able to attend school.

The reorganisation of the classroom assistant workforce is not expected to create redundancies.

We want to retain the skills and experience that currently exist and build on them.

It is the case that the levels of growth in the classroom assistant workforce in recent years will not be sustainable in the years ahead. Many schools are already struggling to fill new posts based for additional one-to-one roles.

The new enhanced model will allow us to use the excellent classroom assistant workforce we currently have in the best possible way and recognise the skills and experience they have. It will also provide classroom assistants with opportunities for more specialist roles, appropriately rewarded.

A public consultation will be opening on March 24. 

Please keep an eye on our social media channels and our website for further information and details of events.  

For further information on the wider Department of Education's SEN Reform Agenda and Delivery plan, please visit: SEN Reform Agenda | Department of Education.