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Planning a special class or special school place for September 2027? The NCSE is still accepting Parents Notify forms after 1 September 2026. Submit the form even if every supporting document is not ready: the NCSE asks for documents by 15 September, or as soon as possible afterwards. A notification is not an offer of a place. Check the current NCSE Parents Notify guidance before applying. Current at 15 September 2026.
The support that's available
Every child in Ireland has the right to an education, and schools are set up to support children with a wide range of additional needs, from a specific learning difficulty to a physical disability, a sensory need, or a developmental or behavioural need. The supports are designed to keep your child learning alongside their classmates wherever possible, with extra help layered on top.
The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is the State body that oversees these supports. It allocates teaching and care resources to schools, plans special class and special school places, and employs the local organisers who work directly with families. You can read more on ncse.ie: information for parents and guardians.
Extra teaching: the SET allocation and the continuum of support
Every mainstream school receives a Special Education Teaching (SET) allocation: a pool of teaching hours it uses to help pupils who need extra support. A key point for parents: a diagnosis is not required for your child to get this help. Schools deploy support based on a child's identified learning needs, so extra teaching can begin as soon as a need is noticed rather than waiting for an assessment.
Support is delivered along a continuum: matched to how much help a child needs at a given time:
- Support for all / in-class support: the Special Education Teacher works alongside the class teacher so your child is helped within the ordinary classroom.
- Support for some: small-group teaching for children who need more focused help with, say, literacy, numeracy or language.
- Support for a few: more intensive, individualised support, which can include one-to-one time withdrawn from the classroom for short periods.
Because the allocation belongs to the school, support can flex up or down as your child's needs change, without you needing to reapply for hours.
Care support: Special Needs Assistants (SNAs)
Where a child has significant care needs: arising from a disability, a significant medical condition, or a behavioural or safety need , the school may be allocated a Special Needs Assistant (SNA). It's important to understand the SNA role: SNAs provide care support, not teaching. They help with things like mobility, personal care, safety and helping a child take part in school life. Teaching remains the job of the class teacher and the Special Education Teacher.
SNA support is allocated to the school, not to an individual child, so a school deploys its SNAs flexibly across the children who need care support. The level can be adjusted as needs change over time.
Special classes and special schools
Most children with additional needs are educated in mainstream classes. Some, however, are better supported in a different setting:
- Special classes are smaller classes attached to a mainstream primary or secondary school, with a lower pupil-teacher ratio and additional staff. Children stay part of the wider school community and can join mainstream classes where appropriate.
- Special schools cater for children with more complex needs and provide a highly supportive environment with specialist staff.
The NCSE plans these places nationally, and its local Special Educational Needs Organiser (SENO) can advise on what is available in your area and which setting suits your child. For an overview see citizensinformation.ie: special educational needs.
The Assessment of Need process
Separate from the day-to-day school supports, the Assessment of Need is a legal process under the Disability Act 2005, run by the HSE. It identifies your child's health and disability needs and the services required to meet them. A parent, guardian or advocate applies to the HSE, and the process runs to statutory timeframes.
An Assessment of Need is not needed to get help in school, the SET allocation means teaching support does not depend on it, but it can be part of the wider picture of health and therapy services around your child. You can apply and read the current rules at hse.ie: Assessment of Need.
How to raise a concern and get help
If you're worried about your child's progress or wellbeing, there's a clear path, start close to your child and work outward:
- Talk to the class teacher first. They see your child every day and can put in-class support in place quickly.
- Ask about the SEN coordinator (SENCO). Most schools have a teacher who coordinates special education support and can meet you to plan how your child will be helped.
- Contact your local SENO. The NCSE's Special Educational Needs Organiser advises families directly, can help with special class or special school placements, and is a point of contact when you need support beyond the school. Find yours via ncse.ie.
The legislative backdrop to all of this is the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs (EPSEN) Act 2004, which set out a vision of inclusive education and established the NCSE. Some sections have never been fully commenced, and the Act is under review to be modernised, but its principle of educating children with additional needs alongside their peers, wherever possible, shapes how schools work today. See citizensinformation.ie: the law on special educational needs.
Planning a school place for a child with additional needs? Every school must publish an admissions policy, including how it supports children with special educational needs. Our guide to school admissions and enrolment explains how to apply, and you can browse primary schools and secondary schools near you to find the right fit.