The Education and Libraries (Northern Ireland) Order 2003

Parental preferences for admission to nursery schools

21.—(1) In Article 23 of 1998 Order (arrangements for applications for admission to pre-school education to be made directly to the Board of Governors of the school concerned) for paragraphs (1) and (2) there shall be substituted—

“(1) Every board shall make arrangements for the parent of a child resident in the area of the board—

(a) to express (in order of preference) his preferences as to the school at which he wishes pre-school education to be provided for his child;

(b) where any of those schools provides both full time and part-time pre-school education, to express his preference as to which kind of pre-school education he wishes to be provided for his child; and

(c) to give reasons for his preferences.

(2) Where the parent of a child has expressed his preferences under arrangements under paragraph (1)—

(a) the parent shall be taken as making an application for admission of the child to the school which is the first preference of the parent; and

(b) if that application is refused, the parent shall then be taken as making an application for admission of the child to the school which is the second preference of the parent,

and so on, taking each preference of the parent in order.

(2A) Where—

(a) a school provides both full-time and part time education; and

(b) a parent’s expressed preferences include both,

paragraph (2) shall be read as if references to admission to a school were references to admission to a school for the particular kind of pre-school education (that is to say part-time or full-time) which is specified in the preference in question.”.

(2) This Article does not apply in relation to any admission to a school taking effect, or proposed admission which would take effect, in a school year ending on or before 31st July 2004.