The number of children with special education needs at risk of not having a school place in September has been reduced to 50 from more than 160.

It comes after work by the Education Authority (EA) with schools to create additional SEN places.

In a statement, the EA said it hopes to reduce the number further to zero by September.

It described the situation as a “critical priority”, ensuring that all children are placed in an appropriate setting that meets their needs.

While more SEN places have been created in recent years, it said demand still exceeds supply.

“To address the pressures, and working collaboratively with a number of schools, EA has created over 5,000 additional places in recent years, including over 1,450 additional places for September 2024,” the statement said.

“In preparation for September 2025, EA has already created more than 150 additional classes, for approximately 1,350 pupils, across 123 schools.

“However, demand still exceeds supply, with limited scope to create more places.”

The EA said the needs of many children with SEN can be met through enhanced support in a mainstream setting, while some with more acute needs can be met through either a placement in a Special School, or in Specialist Provision in a mainstream school.

It said currently only 26% of mainstream schools currently offer Specialist Provision, and that is “not sustainable”.

“The EA ambition is to move to the position where all schools offer Specialist Provision,” the body said.

“Importantly, such a position will also bring an end to the annual cycle of potential shortfalls in places – with all the uncertainty and distress they bring to children and parents.”

The EA said it has been engaging extensively with schools not yet offering Specialist Provision since September 2024.

It said that Education Minister Paul Givan wrote directly to 59 schools in early June encouraging them to engage with the EA on this matter, adding it followed this up throughout June, and even suggested the Department of Education would have to start a process to formally instruct schools to establish specialist provisions.

It added: “Unfortunately, many of these schools have still not engaged with EA in the way that we would want.

“Despite that, upon hearing of the difficulty of the position, a number of those schools that have previously worked with us to create Specialist Provision have, again, stepped forward to help.

“This is hugely encouraging and we are deeply grateful to those schools for clearly prioritising the needs of children over any logistical difficulties such a move presents for them.

“The consequence of this is that, over the next few days, we believe the residual pressure for placements will be reduced to around 50 children, and we feel that with continued work over the summer, it may be possible to reduce this to zero by the start of the next school year.”

The EA added: “This solution is not without limitations and will require EA to provide significantly enhanced packages of support.

“However, it eliminates the need to request that the department consider initiating a formal process for schools. Regrettably, it means that schools that have previously contributed will carry further responsibilities, while some other schools remain uninvolved in the solution.

“We remain committed to working with the Department of Education to explore how we can move toward a more balanced and inclusive system where all schools offer specialist provision, ensuring equity and inclusion for all. The profile of our children is changing and our schools must, with support and training, also change. The current approach is simply not sustainable.”