Education Minister Paul Givan has approved three major capital projects at special schools to proceed to planning and design, as part of efforts to address a 49% surge in demand for specialist places over the past decade.
The projects—a new 320-pupil school for Longstone School, a 220-pupil extension to St Gerard’s Special School, and a new 500-pupil special school in South Belfast—join an existing pipeline of developments aimed at creating over 6,000 additional special school places within the next ten years. However, the Department of Education has confirmed that while these projects can advance to the design phase, construction will only begin when dedicated funding becomes available.
Three Priority Projects Advance
The three schemes have been prioritised within the Education Authority’s Special School Plan of Action. They represent a significant expansion of physical capacity for children with complex needs, yet remain contingent on securing the estimated £1.7 billion in capital investment the Minister has requested from the Executive.
Longstone Special School, which currently serves 240 pupils in Dundonald, would gain an entirely new 320-pupil facility. St Gerard’s Special School in Belfast would see its capacity expand by 220 pupils through a major extension. The third project involves creating a new 500-pupil special school in South Belfast—a separate development from the previously announced 500-pupil campus planned for East Belfast at the former Orangefield High School site.
Unprecedented Growth in Demand
The expansion plans respond to stark demographic shifts. Over 30,000 children in Northern Ireland now hold a formal Statement of Special Educational Needs (SEN), representing an 85% increase in statemented pupils over ten years. The number of children attending special schools has risen by 49% in the same period, while placements in specialist provision classes within mainstream schools have jumped by 169%.
Paul Givan said:
“Over the past decade, we have seen extraordinary growth in demand for specialist places with over 30,000 children having more complex needs and a formal Statement of SEN. As a result, there has been a 49% increase in the number of pupils attending a special school. Projections indicate that demand will continue to rise over the next ten years, meaning a need for over 6,000 additional places in our special schools.
“Significant planning must begin now if we are to meet this demand over the next decade via new build special schools, large-scale extensions, or second campuses for existing schools, to allow for the long lead times required for major infrastructure projects.”
Existing Pipeline and Funding Constraints
The three newly approved projects add to an already extensive list of special school developments initiated in recent years. Planning is already underway for new builds at Sperrinview Special School in Cookstown and Knockevin Special School in Downpatrick, plus a second campus for Ardnashee School and College in Derry. A new special school in Dromore—approved for redevelopment of the former Central Primary School site subject to funding—also remains in the pipeline alongside the East Belfast campus.
Despite the planning progress, the Minister acknowledged that the capital budget remains severely constrained. The Department of Education’s 2025-26 budget faces a shortfall of more than £250 million against requirements, while the overall education capital budget is already stretched by an £800 million maintenance backlog in existing buildings.
The Minister continued:
“Therefore, I have taken the necessary step of approving three priority major capital projects within the Special School Plans of Action to move forward into planning and design.
“The scale and urgency of need demands that three priority projects progress in design and planning at least to pre-tender stage. These projects, like all of the major projects on the SEN capital investment programme, will only progress to construction when funding becomes available.
“The only way forward to put investment in SEN infrastructure on a sustainable footing is for it to be recognised as a strategic cross-government priority. I will continue to press for the additional funding required to meet demand over the next decade.”
Broader Context and Outstanding Questions
The announcement comes against a backdrop of persistent capacity crises. In recent years, dozens of children with statements of SEN have started the school year without confirmed placements, forcing families into last-minute arrangements or home education. While the Education Authority has created over 242 new specialist provision classes and 98 additional classrooms in special schools over the past two years using £110 million of capital investment, stakeholders warn that emergency solutions cannot substitute for permanent infrastructure.
The Minister’s call for ring-fenced, Executive-level funding highlights the tension between long-term planning and immediate budget pressures. With special schools currently operating at capacity and many housed in outdated buildings lacking adequate therapy rooms, the gap between approved planning and actual construction remains a critical uncertainty.
Key questions remain:
- When will the Executive commit the £1.7 billion strategic capital funding requested to move these projects from design to construction?
- How will the Department address the £800 million maintenance backlog in existing special schools while prioritising new builds?
- What interim provision will be made for children requiring immediate placement while these long-term construction projects—potentially taking until 2032 to complete—proceed through planning?
- How will the Department ensure sufficient specialist teaching staff are recruited to fill these new facilities once built?
The Department has indicated that further details on the SEN Reform Agenda and capital investment programme are available via its dedicated policy pages, though construction timelines for the three newly approved projects remain dependent on future funding allocations.