Secondary school in Northern Ireland
Learn about different types of secondary school in Northern Ireland and what to consider when making your choice.
This information is for families of deaf children and young people in Northern Ireland. Read our information for England, Scotland and Wales.
With the right support, deaf children and young people can succeed in any type of school. The school which works best for them will depend on many different things, including:
- their type of hearing loss and level of deafness
- whether they have any additional needs
- where you live
- your family’s religious background
- whether you speak Irish
You’ll also need to think about how your choice of school will work for you and your family.
Types of secondary school
There are lots of different types of schools in Northern Ireland. NI Direct has more information about the different types of school for children aged 4 to 16.
Mainstream schools
Mainstream schools cater for children of all abilities.
All children have a right to attend a mainstream school, including children with any type of hearing loss or level of deafness. Schools in Northern Ireland must make reasonable adjustments to support disabled children. Find out more about deaf children’s rights in education.
A mainstream school may not always be the best fit for a child. For example, a parent might decide that a school is not right for their child. In some cases, a mainstream school may feel that they cannot meet a child’s needs. In this case, the school would have to prove that it had considered all the reasonable adjustments which might have made it possible to include a child.
Specialist units in mainstream schools
It’s possible for a mainstream school to have a specialist unit for deaf children, known as a specialist provision. With specialist provision, deaf children may take part in mainstream classes, or they may be taught in the unit for some or all of their lessons. They may have support in class from a teaching assistant (TA) or learning support assistant (LSA).
Currently, Integrated College Glengormley is the only secondary school in Northern Ireland with a hearing support unit and a full-time Teacher of the Deaf (ToD).
Special schools
Special schools teach children and young people with special educational needs (SEN). These are young people who may not be able to access the mainstream curriculum because of their learning needs. Most special schools support those with a range of additional needs, which could include deafness. These schools can be either controlled or voluntary.
Most deaf young people go to a mainstream school. However, if a deaf young person has a statement of SEN, they can ask to go to a special school. Find out more about SEN.
Some special schools support children with a specific special need, such as deafness. Jordanstown school supports deaf and visually impaired pupils from age 4 to 19. Jordanstown school is non-denominational and can also support deaf children with additional needs, such as autism.
Residential schools
Residential schools are schools where young people can stay overnight, and, in some schools, over the weekend. For example, independent boarding schools. Some special schools are also residential schools. However, there are currently no residential schools specifically for deaf children in Northern Ireland.
Homeschooling
Some families may choose to homeschool their children. This is called elective home education (EHE). You can find more information about EHE on nidirect.gov.uk. The EA has more information and guidelines on EHE.
Starting your search
- Start your search early.
- Search on the internet – look at each school’s website, order or download the prospectus, and contact the school for more information.
- Read individual school inspection reports (ETINI.gov.uk).
- Ask other parents about schools in your area.
- Ask your child’s ToD, if they have one, about schools in your area.
Keep in mind when searching that even a school with a good report or one that’s been recommended may still not be the right school.
Visiting schools
Most schools will have open days or evenings where parents can look around the school and ask questions. Visiting a school can give you a better picture of what the school is like. Keep an open mind and visit as many different types of schools as possible.
Take a checklist with you
Take a checklist with you when visiting a school to collect key information. Download and print our checklist for choosing a deaf-friendly school:
- Document
The checklist includes questions to ask while visiting different schools. You will not need to ask all the questions on the checklist – just pick out the questions which are important to you. Try to ask the same set of questions at each education setting, to help you compare different schools.
Visit schools together
Where possible, try to visit schools together.
If you’re a deaf young person making the move to secondary school, what is it that you want to see when you visit a school? Talk to your parents or carers about what’s important to you.
If you’re a parent or carer visiting schools with your deaf child, ask them what they think. What do they think about the building, teachers, and the general feeling the school gives them?
Meet with the learning support coordinator (LSC)
It can be helpful to make an appointment to see the school’s LSC to discuss learning needs and how the school will be able to meet them.
LSCs were previously known as special educational needs co-ordinators (SENCo).
Visit at different times of the day
Try to visit schools more than once and at different times of the day. Visiting at different times of the day will help to give you a well-rounded view of the whole school day. For example, what is it like at breaktime or when students are moving between classrooms? You can also start to think about the acoustics and what adjustments might need to be made.
Other things to consider
- The location of the school and how far it is to travel to from home. Can the Education Authority (EA) provide transport?
- What extra-curricular activities are available? Is the school able to make adjustments, so that deaf young people can participate fully?
- Are there any other deaf young people currently studying at the school?
- How does the school meet young people’s social and emotional needs?
- If your family speaks Irish, do you want to consider an Irish-medium school (Department of Education)?
- If you’re considering a school with a specialist resource provision, check the qualifications of staff in the resource provision.
- How will this choice impact the family? Do older, hearing siblings attend one secondary school? Will choosing a different school for their deaf sibling make the school run more difficult? Will they need to become more independent, learning to travel to and from school by themselves?
Applying for a place
If a deaf young person does not have a statement of SEN or is undergoing a statutory assessment for a statement of SEN, you need to apply for a school place. Each school will have its own admissions criteria and arrangements for applying, so check with them before you apply.
Find out how to apply for a place at secondary school (EA).
If a deaf young person has a statement of SEN, they do not need to apply for a school place. Their placement will be arranged through the Special Education Needs Department (EA). However, if a specific school is preferred, you have the right to ask for this. The EA must agree to the school chosen, as long as:
- the school chosen is suitable for a deaf young person’s age, ability, skills and SEN
- the school feels that they can meet the deaf young person’s needs
Appealing a school placement
If you’re not happy with a school placement, you have the right to appeal. The way appeals work depends on whether a deaf young person as a statement of SEN or not.
Full references for this webpage are available by emailing
informationteam@ndcs.org.uk