AQW 47871/22-27 – Safety of children with allergies in schools

Mr Patsy McGlone (Mid Ulster): To ask the Minister of Education to detail any steps he has taken to ensure the safety of children with allergies in schools. Minister of Education: It is vitally important that effective arrangements are in place to support children and young people with medical needs, including severe allergies and anaphylaxis, … Continue reading AQW 47871/22-27 – Safety of children with allergies in schools

AQW 47761/22-27 – Sign language fluency in schools

Mr Patsy McGlone (Mid Ulster): To ask the Minister of Education to detail any steps he has taken to increase sign language fluency in schools. Minister of Education: Provision for sign language in education sits alongside wider arrangements to support children and young people with additional needs to access the curriculum and participate fully in … Continue reading AQW 47761/22-27 – Sign language fluency in schools

AQW 44297/22-27 – Improving SEND provision in mainstream schools

Mr Patsy McGlone (Mid Ulster): To ask the Minister of Education to detail any steps he is taking to help improve SEND provision in mainstream schools. Minister of Education: My department and the Education Authority (EA) are working intensively to improve special educational needs (SEN) provision in mainstream schools. Members are aware that I wrote … Continue reading AQW 44297/22-27 – Improving SEND provision in mainstream schools

AQW 47762/22-27 – Free school meals

Mr Patsy McGlone (Mid Ulster): To ask the Minister of Education whether any recent assessment has been made of the potential merits of providing free school meals to all school children. Minister of Education: Free school meals (FSM) continue to provide vital help to many low-income families. For some children, access to a nutritious school … Continue reading AQW 47762/22-27 – Free school meals

AQW 47406/22-27 – Nutritional standards for school menus

Mr Patsy McGlone (Mid Ulster): To ask the Minister of Education, pursuant to AQW 45212/22-27, to detail any steps his Department is taking to update the nutritional standards for school menus, bringing them in line with the latest dietary advice, including on fibre. Minister of Education: My Department completed a review of the nutritional standards … Continue reading AQW 47406/22-27 – Nutritional standards for school menus

AQW 46432/22-27 – Safeguarding standards in schools

Mr Patsy McGlone (Mid Ulster): To ask the Minister of Education to detail any steps he is taking to ensure safeguarding standards are applied consistently across all types of schools. Minister of Education: I am clear that consistently high standards of safeguarding must be upheld in every school, irrespective of sector or management arrangements. The … Continue reading AQW 46432/22-27 – Safeguarding standards in schools

AQW 45332/22-27 – Autism support guidelines for schools

Mr Patsy McGlone (Mid Ulster): To ask the Minister of Education to detail any steps his Department is taking to ensure the adequacy of support guidelines in (i) primary; and (ii) secondary, schools for children with autism. Minister of Education: The Education Authority (EA) Local Impact Teams (LITs) recognise and value neurodiversity and are committed … Continue reading AQW 45332/22-27 – Autism support guidelines for schools

AQW 46331/22-27 – Mental health support services for pupils

Mr Patsy McGlone (Mid Ulster): To ask the Minister of Education whether any assessment has been made of the availability of mental health support services for pupils in secondary schools. Minister of Education: There has been no assessment made of the availability of mental health support services for pupils in post-primary school. The Education Authority … Continue reading AQW 46331/22-27 – Mental health support services for pupils