Parents of pupils at Straid Primary School near Ballyclare in Co Antrim have voted yes to moving to integrated status.
One hundred per cent of parents balloted voted yes.
The Integrated Education Fund (IEF) and Northern Ireland Council for Integrated Education (NICIE) have welcomed the positive response to the ballot.
Roisin Marshall, Chief Executive, NICIE said the Council for Integrated Education welcomes the result of this ballot as evidence of the demand for integrated education within the parent body.
“We will continue to support the school to develop their vision of a sustainable Integrated Primary School serving all members of the local community,” she said.
IEF – Straid Primary School
Tina Merron, Chief Executive, IEF also welcomed the positive result from the ballot.
“This reflects the growing interest and demand for integrated education from parents, schools and local communities. Straid has traditionally only attracted pupils from mainly one side of the local community and it is clear that there is a real desire to reach out and welcome parents and children of all faiths and none into the school,” he added.
The ballot was carried out by Civica Election Services, and every adult registered as a parent or guardian was eligible to vote in confidence on the school’s future.
The next step will be compiling a development proposal, which will be submitted to the Department of Education. The Minister for Education will then make the final decision.
Almost every school in the country can apply to transform to integrated status and the parental ballot is the first step in this journey.