Education Minister approves increased admission at Strandtown Primary School, Belfast
Date published:
Education Minister John O’ Dowd has approved an increase to admission and enrolment numbers at Strandtown Primary School in Belfast.
The Development Proposal requested an increase in the admission and enrolment numbers at the school from 236/943 to 261/1044 at 1 September 2016 or as soon as possible thereafter.
Speaking about his decision, the Minister said:
“The model of provision provided by Strandtown Primary School and its three feeder schools is a unique one. Parents opting to enrol their children at the feeder schools do so in the expectation that they will have a seamless transition to Strandtown Primary School at Year 4.
“My decision today supports those expectations by increasing the capacity of Strandtown Primary School to admit pupils transferring from its three feeder schools.”
Notes to editors:
- Strandtown PS in conjunction with Greenwood PS, Belmont PS and Dundela Infants PS, in East Belfast, operate a unique infant school/ junior school model of provision.
- Strandtown PS caters for pupils from Years 4-7.In 2014/15 it had 934 pupils enrolled. The recommended enrolment for an urban primary school (catering for Years 1 to 7) highlighted in the Department’s Sustainable Schools Policy is 140. The three nearby feeder schools cater for pupils in Year 1 to 3. Pupils attending these schools generally transfer to Strandtown PS at Year 4.
- In response to a problem of alignment between the number of pupils admitted to the three feeder schools, and the number seeking to transfer to Strandtown PS, the Education Authority (EA) published DP 432 on 19 November 2015. The proposal was to increase the admission and enrolment numbers at Strandtown PS from 236 and 943 to 261 and 1044 respectively. The two month statutory public consultation period for the proposal ended on 19 January 2016.
- In approving DP 432 the Minister has asked his officials to work closely with the EA to review the effectiveness of this model of provision to minimise the risk of any future alignment issues occurring.
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