Education (Northern Ireland) Order 1998

General

Admission criteria

32.—(1) Subject to the following provisions of this Article, the Board of Governors of each school shall draw up, and may from time to time amend, the criteria to be applied in selecting children for admission to the school under Article 26 or 30.

(2) When drawing up or amending criteria under paragraph (1)—

(a) the Board of Governors of a controlled school shall consider any representations made to it by the board responsible for the management of the school;

(b) the Board of Governors of a Catholic maintained school shall consider any representations made to it by the Council for Catholic Maintained Schools.

(3) Where the criteria to be applied in respect of any school year have been published under Article 33(2), the Board of Governors shall not amend those criteria in respect of that school year without the approval of the Department.

(4) The criteria drawn up by the Board of Governors of a school under paragraph (1) shall provide for all children resident in Northern Ireland at the time of their proposed admission to the school to be selected for admission to the school before any child not so resident may be selected for admission.

(5) The criteria drawn up under paragraph (1) shall be such as to ensure that the Board of Governors by applying those criteria can comply with Article 26 or 30 before the criteria are exhausted.

(6) Regulations may provide that the criteria drawn up under paragraph (1)—

(a) shall include such matters or matters of such description as are specified in the regulations;

(b) shall not include such matters or matters of such description as are so specified.

Information as to schools and admission arrangements

33.—(1) Every board shall, for each school year, publish at such time and in such manner as the Department may direct, particulars of—

(a) the arrangements made by the board under Articles 23(1), 27(1) and 31(1);

(b) the arrangements for the admission of children to pre-school education at each school in its area.

(2) The particulars to be published under paragraph (1)(b) for each school year in relation to a school shall include particulars of—

(a) the school’s full-time and part-time enrolment numbers;

(b) the respective functions of the Board of Governors and the principal in relation to admissions to the school; and

(c) the criteria drawn up under Article 32(1) for the school.

(3) The Board of Governors of every school shall, as respects that school, publish—

(a) such information as may be required by regulations;

(b) such other information, if any, as the Board of Governors thinks fit.

(4) Every board shall publish such information as may be required by regulations with respect to its policy and arrangements in respect of any matter relating to pre-school education at grant-aided schools in its area.

(5) A board may, with the agreement of the Board of Governors of any school situated in the area of the board, publish on behalf of the Board of Governors, the information relating to the school referred to in paragraph (3).

(6) References in paragraphs (3) and (5) to publication are references to publication at such times and in such manner as may be required by regulations.