NI families protest over wait for special needs places

Faith, 11, only found out this week she didn't get a place in her chosen school

"Nobody told you it was going to be this hard or difficult."

Grace Leckey's 11-year-old daughter Faith has special educational needs (SEN) but does not yet have a school place for September.

The Education Authority (EA) warned there was a significant shortfall in school places for children with SEN.

It also said there was a need for 140 extra classes in special schools and 60 extra specialist units for children in mainstream schools.

But those pressures have left hundreds of children and their families in limbo, not knowing where they will be going to school after the summer.

With the end of the current school term only days away, some people protested at Stormont on Wednesday.

A protest was held at Stormont on Wednesday

'She's a wreck'

Grace Leckey fears that the struggle to get Faith a post-primary school place will drag on long into the summer.

Faith is autistic and struggles with anxiety. She attends a mainstream primary but has no post-primary place.

"My daughter is highly emotional, none of us are sleeping," Ms Leckey said.

"She had her first panic attack because of this.

"Her anxiety is at 100, she couldn't even enjoy her 11th birthday.

"She's just a wreck and because she's a wreck, we're a wreck."

Ms Leckey is critical of communication from the EA, as the family were only told that Faith would not be admitted to her chosen school at the start of this week.

"We'd had no - not one - bit of information saying it was a no or offering us any other options," she said.

"For post-primary nobody told you it was going to be this hard or difficult. These children that have disabilities are the last on the list.

"That's what happened years ago, it shouldn't be like that now."

'A bit of a predicament'

Three-year-old Sienna is non-verbal and has struggled when visiting nursey

Three-year-old Sienna Murray has been offered a place in a mainstream nursery but her mum Dorothy said it was not suitable for her needs.

"She still needs assistance when feeding so she'll have to go to home for lunches, for example," Dorothy said.

"She is currently non-verbal, so there's no speech, she cannot communicate her needs or wants.

"The social interaction is very hard for her so at the moment when she's visited the nursery she hasn't coped very well with that.

"It's looking at the minute that the hours are going to be quite reduced for her.

"We are in a bit of predicament. I'm due to go back to work full-time at the same time Sienna is due to begin nursery.

"Financially I do have to work, but with the uncertainty of the situation for Sienna surrounding the nursery I'm not sure how myself and my partner are even going to manage that."

'It has been really stressful'

Malcolm Millward could attend a mainstream post-primary if adult support was provided

Georgina Trickett's 11-year-old son Malcolm is autistic and has attended a mainstream primary, but he still does not know where he will be starting post-primary school in September.

He was the only pupil in his Primary Seven class not to have a post-primary place confirmed, according to Georgina.

"He has the sweetest nature in the world and is the kindest child as well," she said.

"It has been really, really stressful.

"It has been more upsetting for Malcolm as well because obviously he's been going into school and all his classmates know where they're going."

Malcolm could go to a mainstream post-primary but would need additional support.

"He has had a one-to-one all the way through to P7 and he has made a great improvement," Georgina said.

"On his statement it does say that Malcolm's needs could be met in a specialist setting or a sympathetic mainstream with adult support."