Choosing a School
Choosing a School
What are the different types of educational provision available for students with special educational needs?
There are three types of provision to meet the range of educational needs found among students in primary and post-primary schools.
– Mainstream classes in a mainstream school
– Special classes in a mainstream school
– Special school
This range of provision is sometimes described as a continuum (of provision), from fully inclusive mainstream classes at one end of the continuum, to placement in a special school at the other.
Wherever a child is placed, educational placements should be flexible. Educational placements should be reviewed periodically as a student’s needs change.
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Mainstream class in a mainstream school
A mainstream class in a mainstream primary or post-primary school where the class or subject teacher has primary responsibility for the progress of all students in the class, including students with special educational needs.
Additional teaching support from a Special Education Teacher may be provided to a child based on their needs.
Special needs assistants (SNAs) are allocated to schools to work with children who have specific care needs. They provide non-teaching care support. SNAs support pupils who have care needs resulting from a disability, behavioural difficulties or a significant medical issue.
For further information on the supports available to students with special educational needs in mainstream you can contact your SENO.
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Special class in a mainstream school
Special classes in mainstream schools offer a supportive learning environment for students with more complex needs where mainstream classes would not, or have not been able to, meet their needs.
In order to be placed in a special class a child must have a professional report stating that he/she has a special educational need and that this need is of such complexity that a special class placement could be considered.
Special classes have a lower student-teacher ratio specified according to category of disability. This means that classes have small numbers of students, for example, a special class for children with moderate general learning disabilities will have one teacher for every eight children.
Placement in a special class is a flexible arrangement that may change as a student’s learning develops. Where possible, students in special classes should be educated alongside mainstream peers for some part of the day or week, or for some activities or subjects, in line with their needs and abilities.
For further information on schools with special classes for your child you can contact your SENO.
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Special schools
Special schools support students with more severe and/or complex special educational needs in cases where a full time mainstream placement would not be in the student’s best interest. These students may find the demands of mainstream schools very difficult.
In order to be placed in a special school a child must have a professional report stating that he/she has a special educational need and that this need is of such complexity that a special school placement could be considered.
Special schools tend to have fewer students. They have a lower student-teacher ratio specified according to category of disability. This means that classes have small numbers of students. A special school for students with a moderate general learning disability for example, has one teacher for every eight students.
View our School Information Map on our SENO webpage to find a Special School in your area.
If you require advice to determine what educational supports may best suit your child, your local SENO can help.
School Information Map
Find a school in your area
The School Information Map offers detailed information on the location and contact details of special schools, mainstream schools with special classes, and schools with Early Intervention Autism Classes. Users can also find the contact information for their local Special Educational Needs Organiser (SENO)
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SET and SNAs allocation
Each year, the NCSE publishes allocations of Special Education Teaching (SET) hours and Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) to schools to support students with additional needs. You can view current and past allocations by school and year.
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List of Mainstream Schools with Special Classes
Each year, the NCSE publishes a list of Mainstream Primary and Post-Primary schools with Special Classes.