Tom Fleming (Kerry South, Independent)
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504. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the status of the pilot scheme for the allocation of extra teachers to schools for pupils with special education needs, including the schools that qualified and the number of teachers allocated to each school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43803/15]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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I understand that the Deputy is referring to the pilot scheme of a new model for delivering teaching resources to schools to support students with special needs, which is currently under way.

The Deputy will be aware that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) recommended the development of a new model for delivering teaching resources to schools to support students with special needs. It recommended that a school's Special Needs Teaching allocation should be determined by a baseline component according to pupil numbers and a school's educational profile. This profile is to take account of the number of pupils with complex needs, the percentage of pupils performing below average in standardised tests and the social context and gender breakdown of the school.

The NCSE Working Group report recommended sufficient time be allowed for consultation before the new model is implemented. A pilot of the new allocation model is therefore taking place over the course of the current school year.

47 schools (28 primary schools and 19 posts primary schools) have agreed to participate in the pilot project, which will run for the duration of the current school year. An initial list of schools was selected by the Educational Research Centre, using sampling techniques designed to ensure that as full a range of schools as possible is represented. For primary schools the sample included appropriate representation by disadvantaged classification, gender mix and size. For post-primary schools the sample included appropriate representation by sector, disadvantage classification, gender mix and size. A list of schools was generated within each of these categories, along with replacements for first-selected schools.

The pilot will test the practical impacts of the new model prior to full implementation. Significant guidance has been prepared and provided to the schools involved. During the Pilot all participating schools will complete an assessment questionnaire to gather information on their experiences. All participating schools attended a pilot information day on 15th September and a further information day took place on Friday last.

A list of the schools participating in the pilot project and details of the support teaching allocation which has been made for each school is attached. Please note, the allocations noted for each school represent the total allocations made to the school under the pilot project. These allocations therefore replace the allocations usually made to schools through learning support general allocations and the NCSE allocation process, but are not allocations made additionally to these allocations.

Appendix 1: Schools Participating in Pilot Project 2015/16

Primary Schools

Post Primary Schools