Latest news with #schoolplaces
Irish Times
15 hours ago
- General
- Irish Times
More than 30 children without school places taking High Court action
Parents of children with special needs who have no offer of a school place for September may have to consider whether to give up their jobs to take care of their children, the High Court has heard. A total of 34 cases were listed on Friday in the High Court, where parents are legally challenging the Minister for Education and Youth and the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) on the failure to provide school places for children with special needs. Brendan Hennessy BL, who is representing the children in cases, told the High Court on Friday that the final figure on legal challenges over the lack of school places for children with special needs for September could be as high as 50. Ms Justice Sara Phelan, who is case managing the list, said two judges will be available in September to deal with the challenges. Three days have also been set aside in July. READ MORE The judge issued what she called 'a word of warning' saying that the Department of Education and the NCSE process in relation to the provision of school places should start earlier next year so that it is not in the same position. Ms Justice Phelan was told by the State that places had been offered to children in seven of the cases. Hearing dates in July have been given for the legal challenges in three cases, and four cases are expected to back those up. The judge was told there are now 20 cases left on the High Court list in relation to children who have not got places for the start of the school term, but more cases are being brought all the time and the final figure could be 40 to 50 cases before the court. Mr Hennessy, instructed by KM Solicitors, asked that every court slot be allocated. 'Parents are worried that one of them may have to give up employment come September. All that parents want to know is do they have a guaranteed school place,' he said. He said parents will also need written, guaranteed confirmation of school places. He pointed out that the case of a seven-year-old boy had settled at the end of last year on the basis that the child would have a school place in April of this year after the completion of school building work. Counsel said the boy still has not got a school place. Counsel for the State parties, Tony McGillicuddy SC, outlined to the court that in seven of the cases before the court, places had now been offered at schools. He said the Department of Education and the NCSE were forming a plan and streamlining the system so that what happened this year does not happen next year. The cases will be back before the court later this month.
BreakingNews.ie
17 hours ago
- BreakingNews.ie
High Court action on the cards for lack of school places for children with special needs
Some parents of children with special needs who have no offer of a school place for September may have to consider whether to give up their jobs to take care of their children, the High Court has heard. Counsel for children who still do not have a school place, Brendan Hennessy BL, told the High Court that the final figure on legal challenges over the lack of school places for children with special needs could be as high as 50. Advertisement A total of 34 cases were listed in the High Court on Friday where parents are legally challenging the Minister for Education and Youth and the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) on the failure to provide school places for special needs children. Ms Justice Sara Phelan who is case managing the list said there was a difficulty as the courts reach the end of the legal year and nine dates in September as well as three days in July had been set aside to hear the cases. She said two judges will be available in September to deal with the challenges. The judge issued what she called 'a word of warning' that the Department of Education and the NCSE process in relation to the provision of school places should start earlier next year so it is not in the same position. Advertisement Ms Justice Phelan was told that by the State that places had been offered to children in seven of the cases . Hearing dates in July have been given for the legal challenges in three cases and four cases are expected to back those up. The judge was told that there are now twenty cases left on the High Court list in relation to children who have not got places for the start of the school term, but more cases are being brought all the time and the final figure could be 40 to 50 cases before the court. Counsel for the children Brendan Hennessy instructed by KM Solicitors asked that every court slot be allocated. 'Parents are worried that one of them may have to give up employment come September. All that parents want to know is do they have a guaranteed a school place,' he said. Advertisement He said parents will also need written guarantee confirmation of school places . Ireland Woman (42) jailed for acting as get-away driver fo... Read More He pointed out that the case of a seven-year old boy had settled at the end of last year on the basis that a the child would have a school place in April of this year when school building work completed. Counsel said the boy still has not got a school place. Counsel for the State parties, Tony McGillicuddy SC outlined to the court that in seven of the cases before the court, places had now been offered at schools. He said the Department of Education and the NCSE were forming a plan and streamlining the system so that what happened this year does not happen next year. The cases will be back before the court later this month.
BBC News
5 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Van Morrison's former primary to become a special school
Sir Van Morrison's former primary school in east Belfast is set to become a special school school on the Beersbridge Road closed in 2024, with pupils and staff moving to a new building Beersbridge Road site is right beside "the hollow", made famous in Sir Van's song Brown Eyed former Elmgrove school building is now set to house pupils from Greenwood House special school in east Belfast from September 2026. Greenwood House has announced plans to expand its pupil numbers by using Elmgrove as a dual campus alongside its existing site close to the Newtownards Education Authority (EA) has said the school's move "will help the overall position" on school House currently has about 70 pupils aged between three and six, but its expansion proposal means the school plans to take pupils up to Primary would mean, in the first instance, that a number of current P2 pupils could continue in Greenwood House rather than having to move school's proposal will help to provide more special school places for children in Belfast. The Chief Executive of the EA, Richard Pengelly, recently called the shortfall of school places for children with Special Educational Needs (SEN) a "crisis".Belfast was identified as one of the areas where there was a particular pressure on school places. Mr Pengelly said that some mainstream schools could be instructed to enrol more SEN pupils. The chair of Greenwood House's governors Gary Forbes said the special school's move would help parents and pupils."This will mean that we can offer a place to children up to Primary 7, which gives parents a degree of comfort and assurance about their children's education and development," he told BBC News NI."It'll really help families, and we're also looking forward to expanding to use the old Elmgrove site.""We want to thank officials from the Education Authority for their support," he added."The Board of Governors also want to pay tribute to our principal, Lorriane Thompson, and wonderful staff for all their hard work and dedication." In a statement to BBC News NI, a spokesperson for the EA said: "As part of ongoing efforts to increase capacity across the school estate, EA has been working closely with Greenwood House to expand its provision from age 3 to age 11 from September 2026, utilising the old Elmgrove site which will be refurbished as part of the plans.""The transition process will start this year and will help the overall position," they well as Sir Van Morrison, other former pupils of Elmgrove Primary include the late Northern Ireland footballer and manager Billy Bingham and unionist politician David the EA has confirmed plans to create a new special school at the site of the former Orangefield High School in News NI understands that could mean a number of existing special schools being relocated to the site of the former high school in east first integrated Irish language primary school in east Belfast, Naíscoil na Seolta, has previously said it is also interested in a long-term move to the Orangefield site.
BBC News
05-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Major Doncaster housing scheme decision delayed
A decision on plans to build 150 new homes has been deferred after councillors asked for more details around the developer's contribution towards extra school planning application, from Stonebridge Homes, would have seen the development built off Hatfield Lane, in Barnby Dun, Doncaster.A report by planning officers said the developers would be asked to make financial contributions to local schools, including Hungerhill, to provide additional school councillors decided they needed answers from the council's education department on how it calculates figures regarding school places for developments. The report said a contribution of £605,000 would have funded 25 additional school places, according to the Local Democracy Reporting prompted questions from councillors Steve Cox and Neil Wood, with the latter referencing other developments near to Hungerhill school which would add to moved to defer the decision on planning permission until staff from the council's education department came to offer "clarity".Wood asked if a cumulative figure for places at schools affected by multiple developments to be put in council vote was carried and the application will come back to planning at a later date. The plans consist of 115 dwellings for "market housing" and 35 dwellings for "affordable housing".The council report stated the proposal "meets all key policy requirements in respect of affordable housing, public open space, education, and biodiversity net gain".A total of 63 objections had been lodged by residents in the area, raising concerns about the impact on services, including GPs in the officers informed councillors on the committee the GP practice locally "is still accepting new patients and there are others also nearby".Katie Purdam, who spoke on behalf of Stonebridge Homes, said: "The scheme has been subject to a number of changes since it was first submitted."She said it was an "opportunity" shaped with the local community and council "to deliver much need housing on the site"."The proposals have been designed with community in mind," she told the meeting.A decision on the application will be made at a future date. Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds or catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
