Pupils' school start delayed as new classrooms not ready

Parents of about 11 pupils at Sandelford Special School received the news in a letter from the Education Authority

Some children at a County Londonderry special school are facing a delay in starting school as their classrooms will not be ready until early October.

Parents of about 11 pupils at Sandelford Special School in Coleraine received the news in a letter from the Education Authority (EA).

In a subsequent statement, the EA told BBC News NI that "home visits" may be provided for children affected by the delay.

It also said that it was "working closely with the school and families to make sure there is no or minimal impact to learning based on the assessed individual needs of pupils."

Education Minister Paul Givan has previously said there is a need for up to eight new special schools in Northern Ireland

In its letter to families of pupils affected, the EA said that there was "significant pressure for placements at the school."

"To assist with the demand for placements the EA is providing the school with additional accommodation on site to address the number of children it can accommodate," it continued.

"Regrettably, contractors have provided initial indications that additional accommodation will not be ready for pupils until early October 2024."

There has been a significant increase in demand for special school places in recent years.

Education Minister Paul Givan has previously said there is a need for up to eight new special schools in Northern Ireland.

Sandelford is a large special school, which had about 250 pupils in 2023/24.

The EA is providing it with additional classrooms to accommodate more children, but they will not be ready for the start of the new school year in September.

In response to questions from BBC News NI, the EA said that other measures would be put in place to help children affected by the delay.

"EA are working closely with the school and families to make sure there is no or minimal impact to learning based on the assessed individual needs of pupils," their statement said.

"A bespoke package will be made available to each family, which may include stay and play sessions, home visits and learning resources to ensure as smooth a transition as possible into their new school environment," it added.

"As is normal practice in term one, the school will work with all families to identify the needs of the children and their capacity to complete the school day.

"As such there is always a degree of flexibility to schedules for children, during this period families will receive an individual induction package to introduce each child into their new environment at their own pace.

"The EA is working hard with the on-site contractor to ensure that all works are completed as early as possible to enable children to enjoy the benefits of their new learning environment."

However, the EA declined to give a specific date when the new classrooms would be ready.

It said it would ensure parents and carers were "kept informed of progress".