Back to School, Back to Crisis for Children with Additional Needs
08 September 2025
The Children’s Law Centre (CLC) is once again encountering a surge of pupils without suitable school placements as the new school year begins. This is a pattern seen every year, particularly around transition year pupils and pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). However, CLC legal advisers believe the crisis is deepening, with the issues no longer confined to pupils in transition year groups.
Children and families are being left in limbo, often for weeks or even months, due to delays in making placements ready. Even where a placement has been identified, work to prepare schools can drag on, leaving children without access to education and representing an annual breach to children’s human rights.
The Children’s Law Centre continues to support these children but has once again called for urgent action by the NI Executive to address delays in finalising statements, failure to plan for specialist placements and the lack of suitable placements.
Rachel Hogan, SEND Specialist Legal Adviser at CLC said: “For many years, disabled children have been treated like second class citizens as regards school placement, ranging from unsuitable placement or delayed placement to no placement at all.
“We are now seeing knock on effects with children in non-transition year groups being left without a suitable place. The NI Executive needs to end this deepening crisis, ensuring the Education Authority and other public bodies work collaboratively to stabilise the special education system and ensure every child can fulfil their right to an effective education.”
Liam Mackle, Advice Manager at CLC added: “We have been working to support individual children through this distressing time and working to raise the issues directly with the Education Authority. Delay in planning for the additional needs of pupils means that even those who are being placed, might not be able to enter those placements for weeks or months while suitable arrangements are being put in place.
“Likewise, statements being finalised late has a further knock-on effect on school transport services being delayed, meaning many pupils can’t get to school.”
A Call to Action
The Children’s Law Centre has raised this issue repeatedly over the years with the Education Authority, the Department of Education and the NI Assembly’s Education Committee. Last year, young CLC client Aurelia visited Stormont to discuss the issue with MLAs.
This annual back to school crisis amounts to systemic human rights breaches and ongoing discrimination on the grounds of disability. Too many disabled children are being treated as second class citizens in the education system, with their futures put on hold.
The placement crisis is not new, but the harmful impact on children and families is deepening. Urgent, systemic action is needed to ensure that every child with SEND can access their right to education without delay, disruption, or discrimination.