5.5 Special publicly-funded provision within or outside mainstream education
5.5.1 Control
5.5.2 Compulsory subjects
5.5.3 Optional/elective subjects
5.5.4 Formulation of curriculum
5.5.5 Key skills
5.5.6 Curriculum materials
5.5 Special publicly-funded provision within or outside mainstream education [see 3.2.5]
The Education Reform (Northern Ireland) Order 1989 23 requires schools to provide a curriculum for all students which:
In Northern Ireland, the Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA) provides advice to the Department of Education (DE) on the curriculum. 8 37
The Northern Ireland curriculum does not constitute the entire curriculum for schools. Schools may if they wish, develop additional curriculum aspects which correspond with school ethos and with the individual needs and circumstances of students. 24
Although children with special educational needs in mainstream schools are expected to follow the Northern Ireland curriculum, where possible, under the terms of the Education Reform (Northern Ireland) Order 1989 23 , the special education provision specified in a statement for any student may include modifying this statutory curriculum. The principal of any grant-aided school may, for a specified period not exceeding six months, modify or set aside the curriculum for individual students. In such cases the board of governors must inform parents of the action, the reasons behind it, the provisions being made for the student and the proposed action following the period. Parents may appeal to the board of governors against the principal’s decision. 8
The ‘Revised Northern Ireland Primary Curriculum: Key stages 1 and 2’, states that curriculum planning for children with special educational needs should take into account the nature, extent and duration of the difficulty experienced by the child. Consequently, it advises that teachers should:
Present materials and activities appropriate to the child’s age and maturity, considering any gaps in the child’s learning resulting from missed or interrupted learning.
Identify aspects of learning that may present difficulties and adapt these accordingly, providing adequate time for children to complete the tasks set.
Where necessary, provide additional materials and resources, including adaptive technologies and access devices.
Special schools are also expected to follow the Northern Ireland Curriculum, wherever possible. 8
Where possible, children with special educational needs are expected to follow the statutory Northern Ireland Curriculum. Full details are provided in sections 5.1.2, 5.2.2, 5.3.2 and 5.4.2 of the mainstream archive.
However, in Northern Ireland, under the terms of the Education Reform (Northern Ireland) Order 1989 23 , the special education provision specified in a statement for any student may include modifying this statutory curriculum. 8 See section 5.5.1 above for further information.
5.5.3 Optional/elective subjects
See section 5.5.2.
5.5.4 Formulation of curriculum
See section 5.5.1 of this archive and sections 5.1.4, 5.2.4, 5.3.4 and 5.4.4 of the mainstream archive in addition.
See sections 5.1.5, 5.2.5, 5.3.5 and 5.4.5 of the mainstream archive.
Teaching and learning methods are decided upon by the class teacher in consultation with expert colleagues such as special educational needs coordinators (SENCOs) who have particular responsibilities within this area. 8
Information and communications technology (ICT) is being used increasingly to open up the curriculum for a whole range of learners who might otherwise be excluded, such as those students with sensory or motor difficulties. The special needs team at Becta (the British Educational Communications and Technology Agency) provides a national focus for this work and has produced online learning resources for children with SEN. 26