Integrated Education Fund

Since its foundation in 1992, the Integrated Education Fund has made grants totalling over £15 million to schools and groups, thanks to the generosity and commitment of donors and supporters.

Of this total, £1.4 million was in the two year period 01 April 2008 to 31 March 2010, for the following projects:

 

 

GRANTS TO INTEGRATED SCHOOLS (£453,620)

From 1 April 2008 until 31 March 2010 the IEF made grants totalling £453,620 to integrated schools to support the development and growth of integrated education in Northern Ireland. Some examples of the grants awarded during this timeframe include:

Transformation Support Grants (£110,500)

Through the Supporting And Developing Integrated Education (SADIE) Grant Programme the IEF was able to financially support the transformation to integrated status of Ballycastle, Cliftonville, Ballymoney, Fort Hill and Crumlin Primary Schools and of Parkhall College. Grants of £30,000 were awarded to each of the primary schools and £45,000 to the college to support transformation related work in the areas of Marketing, Training and Other Work over three year periods. These grants were generously supported by John Fitzpatrick, Michael Bloomberg and the Dickie Family.

Support for Library Resources at Transforming Integrated Schools (£5,000)

A donation from the Irish American Partnership made it possible for transforming schools to audit and enhance their existing school library resources. Beneficiaries included Cliftonville, Ballymoney, Fort Hill and Crumlin Primaries and Parkhall College.

Support for Existing Integrated Schools (£122,285)

Grants from the Ireland Funds enabled Rowallane IC to accommodate its increasing pupil base in mobile accommodation on its temporary Belvoir Park site in Belfast. Rowallane IC then joined forces with Down Academy IC on the latter’s Downpatrick site to form Blackwater Integrated College and a donation from Kevin Curley supported the new College in its outreach programme to primary schools in the Downpatrick area.

The newly vacant mobile classrooms on the Belvoir Park site presented the IEF with an opportunity to support the development of a number of other integrated schools. Through consultation with the schools and the Department of Education, and with the generous support of donors including the Australian Ireland Fund and the Sir Warwick Fairfax Trust, and contributions from the schools and Education and Library Boards themselves, the IEF was able to project manage the relocation of the mobile classrooms to the integrated schools which had the most, and/or most urgent, need for additional space. Schools which received the classrooms included Drumlins, Forge, Fort Hill, Millennium, Portadown and Portaferry IPSs, and Fort Hill IC. The classrooms were put to a wide range of uses including preschool provision, library facilities, school assembly, after school clubs and facilities for children with special educational needs.

Support for a Fledgling Grant Maintained Integrated Primary School (£45,725)

Rowandale IPS is situated in rural Moira/Hillsborough in temporary accommodation on its first site. In these early years of the school’s development, the IEF has been able to assist in both practical ways and financially. The school has received grants through the IEF from a number of generous supporters including the Australian Ireland Fund and the Sir Warwick Fairfax Trust for projects such as the installation and fitting out of additional mobile accommodation, planning, legal and other fees. The school has a dedicated team of staff, governors and parents who have worked tirelessly to ensure the school’s successful establishment and continued growth.

Carson Awards (£8,233)

The Carson Awards are sponsored by Frank and Tony Carson and take the form of Bursaries and Prizes.

The Carson Bursaries are open to Year 12, 13 and 14 students at integrated colleges and, if applicable, their collaborative partners. Bursaries of up to £1,000 provide resources to carry out and complete creative projects under the theme ‘What Integration Means to Me’.

The Carson Prizes are open to all students of integrated primary and second level schools and, if applicable, their collaborative partners. The prizes are for completed creative projects, under the same theme as the Bursaries. The entries are judged under key stage categories and winners receive £500 for their school along with a trophy.

Between April 2008 and March 2010 a total of 10 Carson Bursaries were awarded to students from Erne, Drumragh, Fort Hill, Hazelwood, Shimna and Ulidia ICs. In addition, in 2009/10 Carson Prizes were awarded to Omagh IPS and Sperrin and Fort Hill ICs.

Grants for projects supporting newcomers and cultural diversity (£24,754)

Thanks to The Open Society Foundation’s generosity and commitment to good practice in supporting diversity in schools, the IEF was able to operate a small grants programme and work in partnership with NICIE to deliver a pupils’ conference for children and young people in integrated education.

The small grants programme supported projects with the theme ‘Inclusion and Diversity in Education – Welcoming Newcomer Pupils’. Integrated primary schools that benefitted from these grants included Bangor Central, Forge, Fort Hill, Glengormley, Kircubbin, Oakgrove, Roe Valley, Windmill, Omagh and Saints and Scholars. Integrated colleges which received grants included Sperrin, Brownlow, Oakgrove, Erne, Priory, North Coast and Lagan.

Additional support for schools still growing (£97,035)

Donations received, including a grant from the Australian Ireland Fund and the Sir Warwick Fairfax Trust, supported two new outdoor play facilities, including buildings work and equipment at Ballycastle and Drumlins IPSs and a new mobile classroom at Rowandale IPS.

The new playgrounds were designed to meet the current curriculum requirements and provided outdoor classroom settings for the increasing numbers of children attending the schools. The new classroom at Rowandale IPS enabled the school to increase its capacity and continue to grow.

Support for innovation in provision for pupils with special educational needs (£16,004)

The Curley Family, through the Shamrock Shoot-out Golf Tournament, raised money to provide and equip a sensory room for children with special educational needs at Cranmore IPS.

Raymond Skilling and the Jim and Lynn Moroney Family Foundation donated funding for Millennium IPS for their special educational needs nurture room and after school facility. Part of the donation contributed to the transportation of the mobile from the Belvoir Park site to Millennium IPS and part was used towards refurbishment costs.

Support for other small or unique/one off projects (£24,084)

Through the Sister Anna Charitable Trust the IEF has been able to continue to support the Chaplains of Lagan College with grants averaging £5,000 per year.

With donations from the Nathan and Lily Silver Foundation via the Ireland Funds the IEF made grants to Cranmore and Lough View IPSs to support their pre-school provision.

Promoting A Culture of Trust Grant Programme (£264,016)

The IEF’s Promoting A Culture of Trust Grant Programme (PACT) is open to all schools in Northern Ireland, integrated and non-integrated, for projects that promote a culture of trust and the development of paths of reconciliation through education.

From April 2008 until March 2010, through the ninth and tenth PACT allocations, the IEF awarded PACT grants totalling £252,403 for 31 school projects involving 76 schools and groups (following the allocations two schools were, unfortunately unable to accept their grants). The projects which were funded enabled schools to establish and/or add value to existing links with other schools of different management types. The projects were programmes of activities for participants including pupils, school staff, governors and parents at differing levels and for different durations. Schools used mediums such as sport, music, art, history and drama to provide opportunities to involve greater ranges and/or numbers of participants as well as adding more depth and meaning to the project for participants. Projects were linked to the curriculum areas of ‘Mutual Understanding in the Local and Wider Community’ at Foundation Level and Key Stages 1 and 2, and ‘Local and Global Citizenship’ at Key Stages 3 and 4.

Sponsorship for this Programme has been gratefully received from organisations including the Northern Ireland Fund for Reconciliation, BT, the Northern Ireland Department of Education, the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs and the Vodafone Foundation.

Grants to independent schools (£549,061)

Clogher Valley Integrated Primary School (£238,198)

During this period Clogher Valley IPS was funded independently by the IEF. Sadly, due to demographic challenges in the area, the school was unable to meet Department of Education conditions for approval and after three years of funding the IEF could no longer guarantee continued financial support. Clogher Valley IPS parents and stakeholders considered the options available to them and the school was closed on 31 August 2009.

Blackwater Integrated College (£310,863)

Rowallane and Down Academy ICs have now come together to form Blackwater Integrated College. Rowallane IC was established by the parents group, Parents Organising Second level Integrated Education in Down (POISED) and was funded independently by the IEF until the new Blackwater IC opened its doors in September 2008 with full Department of Education approval and funding. While it was independent and striving to secure government funding, the IEF’s financial commitment to the school was only possible because of the substantial support received from independent donors, supporters and trusts, in particular the worldwide Ireland Funds and the McDonnell Family.

Communications and Lobbying (£145,219)

The year 2008/2009 saw the completion of a joint IEF and NICIE Communications And Lobbying (CAL) project. The three year CAL project was established with a team of 10 staff in 2005 to carry out a strategy to help raise the profile of integrated education. During its final year of funding the independent external evaluator noted the significant success the team had enjoyed in many fields, especially in terms of raising awareness of transformation.