Enrolments of students in support classes and in schools for specific purposes by category.

Data Notes:

• Schools for Specific Purposes (SSPs) are for students with specific needs. Students in SSPs are reported according to the type of specific need rather than by their year of schooling. Students with multiple disabilities are reported according to their main disability.

• Most SSPs have permanent enrolments and include schools for students with intellectual (mild, moderate and severe) and physical disabilities, visual or hearing impairment, behaviour disorders or emotional disturbance, and students in juvenile justice centres.

• Some SSPs have no permanent enrolments because the children temporarily attending them are enrolled and counted in their own schools. These are mainly hospital schools. Some students with specific needs are enrolled in support classes in primary, secondary and central schools. Students enrolled in support classes are reported according to the type of specific need rather than by their year of schooling. Support classes for students of mixed abilities are classified according to the predominant type of specific need present in the class.

• Students in SSPs, except those in juvenile justice schools, are reported by type of class.

• From 2020, students in mainstream support classes are reported by their underlying grade of enrolment.

Data Source:

• Schools and Students: Statistical Bulletin. Centre for Education Statistics and Evaluation.