(UK) NI: Number of special classes in mainstream schools DOUBLES in 5 yrs to 723
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The rapid growth in the number of special education classes in mainstream schools is revealed in new data obtained under the Freedom of Information Act.
The number of Specialist Provision in Mainstream Schools (SPiMs) units has more than doubled in just five years across Northern Ireland, the figures show.
The data, obtained by the political party Aontú following a Freedom of Information request, shows that SPiMs units rose from 316 in the 2021/22 academic year to 723 in 2025/26. Over the same period, the number of dedicated special schools increased by just one, from 39 to 40.
The party said that in 2025/26, 81.6% of pupils with special educational needs were educated in a mainstream class, 7.5% in SPiMs, and 10.9% in special schools. More than 7,700 pupils were enrolled in the 40 special schools, an increase of nearly 270 from the previous year.
The figures come amid a widely acknowledged crisis facing the schools system in Northern Ireland, driven in large part by increased demand on the special educational needs and disabilities (SEN) sector.
Last month, the chief executive of the Education Authority admitted SEN provision is “simply not good enough” and must be fundamentally overhauled, as demand leaves many children without appropriate school places.
Aontú Deputy Leader Gemma Brolly, a teacher and school Special Educational Needs Coordinator, described the figures as “deeply concerning”.
“Over 7,700 pupils were enrolled in just 40 dedicated special schools,” she said. “We are still miles behind the kind of joined-up model seen in other countries, where education, health and social care are planned together.”
The surge in the number of SPiMs, quantified in the new FOI figures, reflects a deliberate strategic shift by the Department of Education and the Education Authority towards embedding specialist provision within mainstream schools. . . .
The FOI data comes after the Irish News revealed that 99 temporary classrooms are in use across 63 schools, with special schools disproportionately affected.
In Limavady, the special school Rossmar moved into a new £14.5 million [$19M] building in 2022 but has already begun planning for a five-classroom expansion.
A similar pattern is evident at Ardnashee School and College in Derry, where a new £43 million [$57M]building opened last year and was deemed inadequate even before its official opening, with the Education Minister acknowledging a further extension will be required.
Gemma Brolly, meanwhile, said it is becoming more difficult for families to access support and SEN statements, while schools were being asked to manage complex health, therapeutic and behavioural needs without integrated services.
“Demand is rising sharply, but investment and coordination have not kept pace,” she said. “Developing more SPiMs is not going to bridge the gap alone. Without proper funding and a genuinely integrated health-education approach, children will continue to fall through the gaps.”
Academic year breakdown of SPiMs classes expansion, drawn from FOI data, shows:
2021/22: 316 SPiMs classes, 39 special schools
2022/23: 379 SPiMs classes, 39 special schools
2023/24: 480 SPiMs classes, 39 special schools
2024/25: 595 SPiMs classes, 40 special schools
2025/26: 723 SPiMs classes, 40 special schools
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