Givan: Pre-School Inclusion Fund is delivering targeted support for children with special educational needs (SEN)
Date published:
Education Minister Paul Givan has seen first-hand how the Pre-School Inclusion Fund (PSIF) is enhancing support for children with special educational needs (SEN), during a visit to Holywood Nursery School.
Education Minister Paul Givan has seen first-hand how the Pre-School Inclusion Fund (PSIF) is enhancing support for children with special educational needs (SEN), during a visit to Holywood Nursery School.
The school has used the funding to create a new sensory room and significantly increase classroom assistant hours for children undergoing statutory assessment, giving extra support to children who need it at the earliest and most critical stage of their education.
Speaking during the visit, the Minister said:
“It was a pleasure to visit Holywood Nursery School and see the real, practical difference the Pre- School Inclusion Fund is making for the children here.
“The expansion of the Pre-School Inclusion Fund is part of my ongoing commitment to delivering SEN Reform and ensuring every child gets the right support from the very start. It recognises the growing number of children presenting with additional needs in the early years and has created genuinely equitable access to support right across the pre-school sector."
In 2025/26 £4.5m has been invested through the Fund enabling 640 settings to benefit, with payments for part‑time classes attracting a payment of £3,200 and £5,300 for full‑time classes.
Clare Majury, Principal of Holywood Nursery School, said:
“This Fund is an absolute game changer for our children and one of the best and most impactful initiatives for our school. It has strengthened our capacity to meet the needs of pupils with diverse learning profiles. The sensory room is a valuable resource for both this academic year and in the future, we are so pleased to now offer this to our children.”
The Minister concluded:
“What we've seen at Holywood Nursery School is proof that targeted, flexible investment works. It supports children's learning, wellbeing and development at exactly the right moment. I commend everyone at the school for their commitment to truly inclusive early education.”
Notes to editors:
1. Picture caption: Education Minister Paul Givan pictured in the sensory room at Holywood Nursery School with Principal, Clare Majury, Chair of the Board of Governors, Beverley Todd and pupils Alice, Emma and Joey.
2. The PSIF was launched as a pilot in November 2024, supported by £1.14m from the Early Learning & Childcare (ELC) budget.
3. Following a review of criteria in October 2025, the Fund was expanded in 2025/26 to include all DE funded pre‑school providers, at a standardised per‑class rate.
4. Pre-schools have flexibility in how they use the funding to meet the needs of young children who have or may have SEN, including buying in additional staff time, accessing Allied Health Professional services or procuring specialist equipment and resources.
5. For more news from the Department of Education, you can follow us on our social media channels:
- X @Education_NI
- Facebook Department of Education NI
- Instagram de_northern_ireland
- LinkedIn Department of Education
6. Media enquiries to the Department of Education Press Office at Press.Office@education-ni.gov.uk.
7. The Executive Information Service operates an out of hours service for media enquiries only between 1800hrs and 0800hrs Monday to Friday and at weekends and public holidays. The duty press officer can be contacted on 028 9037 8110.