Four schools in Northern Ireland have transformed to Controlled Integrated Status.
Brefne Nursery School, Belfast, Carrickfergus Central Primary School, Harding Memorial Primary School, Belfast, and Seaview Primary School, Glenarm have all made the move.
It comes as a total of 71% of people in Northern Ireland believe that integrated education should be the norm, while 69% want their children to attend a mixed-religion school.
That’s according to recent surveys carried out by LucidTalk and the joint QUB/UU ARK project.
Almost any school in Northern Ireland can begin the process of transforming to integrated status but no school transforms without majority support from parents, the first step in a process that culminates in approval from the Education Minister.
Schools are supported in their transformation journey by the Northern Ireland Council for Integrated Education (NICIE) and the Integrated Education Fund (IEF), which also provide financial support to help schools explore the process and work with its local school community.
Integrated education continues to be the fastest growing form of education in Northern Ireland, with around 7.5% of all children now attending an integrated school.
Roisin Marshall, Chief Executive of NICIE said four schools joining the integrated family this September is fantastic news, the most at any one time in over a decade.
“Each one of these transformations is the result of months, sometimes years, of hard work and effort by dedicated parents, staff and governors. This commitment has paid off, with the four schools embracing the diverse religious and cultural communities they serve, and securing a brighter future for generations of pupils to come.
“This is what the integrated movement has been about since Lagan College opened 40 years ago this September – parent power enabling children to learn together for a shared society. We are proud to support these school communities through the process of Transformation,” she said.
Photograph by Declan Roughan
Seaview Primary School in Glenarm transfers to Controlled Integrated Status.
Tina Merron, Chief Executive of the IEF said they look forward to supporting the schools on their integration journey.
“The IEF has been raising awareness of transformation through our ‘Integrate My School’ campaign and it is encouraging to see it being embraced so positively by parents and schools. The IEF and NICIE are working with more schools than ever before who desire formal integrated status and who see the added value that quality inclusive education brings for their children,” she added.
Parents and schools interested in the process of transformation can contact IEF Parental Engagement Manager Andrew Norrie at Andrew@ief.org.uk or 077 6716 7827 or NICIE Senior Development Officer Sean Pettis Sean spettis@nicie.org.uk : (0) 28 90972910.