Amalgamation for Standardisation Pilot
The Department has carried out significant preparatory work on standardisation, including the ‘Amalgamation for Standardisation’ pilot which facilitated the approval of new full-time pre-school places via a streamlined process. This pilot has been a success to date with three settings having been approved to change their enrolment and pattern of provision in 2023-24 and a further three have been approved for 2024-25.
A record of the decisions made in 2022 and 2023 on requests for change under the Amalgamation for Standardisation Pilot can be found by clicking the links below.
- Amalgamation for Standardisation Pilot decisions 2022 | Department of Education (education-ni.gov.uk)
- Amalgamation for Standardisation Pilot decisions 2023 | Department of Education (education-ni.gov.uk)
Scoping Study
The pilot is only one element of the wider planning for pre-school standardisation. A detailed Scoping Study has been commissioned by the Department to provide a comprehensive evidence base for the development of a costed implementation plan for full standardisation.
A copy of the Final Scoping Study Report can be found below, together with a copy of the Minister’s correspondence to stakeholders in regard to the report.