Inclusive Special Classes: a new support model for children learning close to home

Inclusive special classes are set to become part of the school landscape for the 2026/26 school year, as the government announced 45 new special classes and a model designed to keep more children connected to their local schools.

For families weighing daily routines, school friendships, and the support a child needs, the announcement carries a practical meaning. It is not only about more places. It is about how children move through a school day, where they learn, and how much flexibility a school can offer when a student needs both mainstream teaching and targeted help.

What is changing in the coming school year?

Of the 45 new special classes announced for the 2026/26 school year, five will be inclusive special classes. These classes are intended to help students with additional needs learn alongside other students in mainstream classes, while also spending time during the day in a special class for extra support.

The model allows students to move between mainstream classes and special classes depending on the support they need at any time. That flexibility is at the centre of the announcement and reflects a growing emphasis on keeping support close to the child’s normal school day rather than separating it from it.

Each inclusive special class will receive funding for one teacher, or 1. 5 teachers at post-primary level, two Special Needs Assistants, and extra capitation funding. Schools will also receive a €30, 000 start-up grant for furniture and equipment, plus funding for minor building works or repurposing works where needed.

Why does the inclusive special classes model matter to families?

The government said the wider expansion responds to demand from schools across the country for more flexible and inclusive ways to support students with additional needs. For many parents, that language will sound less like policy jargon and more like a daily question: can my child be supported without being moved too far from siblings, friends, and a familiar setting?

Minister for Education and Youth Hildegarde Naughton said the announcement marks another important step in ensuring every child can access the education that best meets their needs. She said expanding special classes and introducing inclusive special class models strengthens the ability to support students in their local communities while also responding to increasing demand.

Minister of State for Special Education Michael Moynihan said a key long-term consideration is to have as many children as possible attend their local school alongside their siblings and friends. He said this is why the rollout of inclusive special classes is important for students and families.

How does this fit into the wider special education rollout?

The 45 new classes add to a larger wave of approvals for the upcoming school year. The Department said today’s announcement brings the total number of new special classes sanctioned for the school year to 427, with further approvals expected in the coming weeks.

That broader figure matters because it shows the decision is not being made in isolation. It sits within a wider effort to widen access to special education places and to diversify the types of provision available. The new inclusive special classes are a smaller part of that total, but they signal a specific direction: more blending of support within mainstream school life.

For schools, the change brings both opportunity and responsibility. The funding package attached to each class is designed to help with staffing, equipment, and any necessary building adjustments. For families, the promise is simpler to state and harder to deliver: more options, closer to home, and a school day that can shift with a child’s needs rather than forcing the child to fit one fixed model.

As the number of sanctioned special classes rises, the question now is how quickly schools can turn approval into real places. In the meantime, the government’s new inclusive special classes model will be watched by families who want support without losing the everyday rhythm of local school life.