Codes of Practice

The law dealing with Special Education in Northern Ireland is contained in the The Education (Northern Ireland) Order 1996 as amended by The Special Educational Needs and Disability (Northern Ireland) Order 2005 (SENDO).  

The Department of Education has provided guidance for Education and Library Boards and schools in the form of a Code of Practice on the Identification and Assessment of Special Educational Needs and also a Supplement to the Code of Practice, effective from 1 September 2005, which was produced as result of SENDO.  Schools, Boards and health and social services authorities must consider the advice given in the Code of Practice when deciding what they should do for children with special educational needs

An electronic version is available for download of:

• Code of Practice on the Identification and Assessment of Special Educational Needs PDF 417 KB
  This Code of Practice addresses the identification, assessment and provision made for all children who may have special educational needs at some time in their school careers, or even earlier.
• Supplement to the Code of Practice on the Identification and Assessment of Special Educational Needs PDF 260 KB
  This Supplement was issued by the Department of Education under Article 4 of the 1996 Order and is operative from 1 September 2005. The status, coverage, principles and essential practices and procedures and detailed guidance contained in existing Code of Practice on the Identification and Assessment of Special Educational Needs 1998 (hereafter referred to as the Code of Practice) are unchanged by this Supplement.

Copies of both of these documents are also available by writing to:

Special Education Branch

or by telephoning local: 028 9127 9939

International:+44 (0)28 9127 9939