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New Strategic Vision: Towards 100 Integrated Schools

New IEF Strategy Launched 2022-2025

June 29, 2022

Events

The Integrated Education Fund launched its Strategic Vision at a reception the Hinch Distillery on Thursday 23 June.  Baroness May Blood was joined by IEF Director Peter Osborne, Tina Merron (IEF Chief Executive) and Paul Caskey OBE (Head of Campaign) to set out the organisation’s aims and goals for the next three years. 

It has been a hugely successful year for the IEF, with four new schools completing the Transformation process with another two approved to become Integrated in the 2022/23 school year. 9 further schools have initiated Parental Ballots for Transformation.

While the passing of the Integrated Education Act in March was a massive milestone it is important to underline that this is not the end of the journey. The IEF’s new Strategy will seek to empower and support parents, schools and local communities who want to see more Integrated schooling in Northern Ireland and support the continued growth of Integrated Education.

Recent figures have shown a disproportionate number of children who picked an Integrated school as their first choice remain to be placed for the 2022/23 school year. 71% of parents in a LucidTalk poll in 2021 believe that Integrated schools should be the norm. The new aim for the IEF is to create the conditions to reach 100 Integrated Schools by 2025.

The launch at the Hinch Distillery was attended by representatives from the world of business, politics, education and the community.

Baroness May Blood, Campaign Chair of the IEF said:

“The success of the Integrated Education Act in Stormont earlier this year made the headlines, but the hard work continues every day. No school can transform without the consent of parents, or the hard work of teachers, senior staff and Governors.

100 schools may have seemed like a pipedream 40 years ago when Lagan College first opened its doors, but we can, and must, work towards an Integrated place for every child that wants one”.

You can view the strategic vision here or download the document in full below.