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INTO Guidance on Special Education Teaching Allocation 2017/18

Circulars 2017

1.    Establish your school’s allocation

Schools by now should have received their letter from the NCSE which states their special education teaching post allocation for the school year 2017/18. 

Newly established schools/amalgamated schools for 2017/18 will be contacted directly by the DES Special Education Section.

2.     Appendix C of Circular 0017/2017

Appendix C of the Staffing Circular sets out the special education teaching allocation of full-time posts and hours as notified by the NCSE.

Column H of Appendix C states the number of full-time permanent Special Education Teacher (SET) posts which have been allocated to your school.

Column I of Appendix C states the number of hours and minutes that are available for clustering with other schools.

3.     Clustering

PLEASE NOTE

• All 2016/17 clusters for GAM/EAL and Resource LITH hours cease at the end of the current school year.
• Once a cluster has been agreed for the forthcoming school year, the base school must submit the cluster arrangement on Form S.E.T Cluster 2017,  Appendix D to DES Primary Allocations Section. By close of business Thursday 30 March.
• All full-time clustered posts (25 hours) submitted to the DES by this deadline are permanent and will be automatically approved by the DES.
• Following the school-led process (end date 30 March) the DES, if necessary, will commence a DES-led clustering process of the remaining S.E.T hours to facilitate the redeployment of any remaining surplus permanent teachers.
• Part-time hours remaining in a school that are not clustered into full-time posts can only be filled in a temporary capacity.
• Clusters created for school year 2017/18 will remain in place until the next NCSE review of the special education teaching allocation.
• Further details are available on:                                                             
  • Page 9 of Staffing Circular 0017/2017
  • Page 3 of the FAQ on Circular 0017/2017

4.     Appeals

The NCSE appeals process is available here. The closing date for appeals is Friday 31 March. It is envisaged that decisions on the appeals will issue to the relevant schools by 31 May.

Details of the appeals process will be set out as part of the notification on the 20 March.

5.     Guidelines for Primary Schools (as per Circular 0013/2017)

The DES has published the Guidelines for Primary Schools: Supporting Pupils with Special Educational Needs in Mainstream Schools (10 April 2017)

21 April 2017

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Date: Thursday, 16 March 17