As 2024 draws to a close, the Integrated Education Fund (IEF) wants to thank you for your continued support and provide you with a summary of some of the key highlights of the year.
2024 has proved to be another highly eventful year for the IEF. Working closely our colleagues in the Northern Ireland Council for Integrated Education there have been many highs and a few lows.
In June, the IEF’s former Chief Executive, Tina Merron, bid farewell after 26 years of dedicated service, with Paul Caskey OBE, former Head of Campaign, becoming our new Chief Executive in July.
During the year we were delighted to welcome Sion Mills, Lurgan Model and Cairnshill as new Integrated Primary Schools, following receiving Ministerial approval of their Transformation to Integrated status. This brings the total number of approved Integrated schools to 73 but with additional Development Proposals from several more schools currently eagerly awaiting a decision from the Minister. Unfortunately, St. Eugene’s Primary School near Strabane was not approved on grounds of sustainability and we feel very disappointed for all involved.
Our ‘Integrate My School’ campaign helped to support the following schools progress to a parental ballot on Transformation to Integrated status, where a clear majority of parents voted in favour of such a transition process in their school:
2024 included the Inquiry into Integrated Education by the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee at Westminster which received over 50 written submissions and oral presentations and which concluded without a major report due the announcement of the UK General Election in July.
Throughout the year the IEF has been remained proactive in seeking progress on implementation of the Integrated Education Act (2022), highlighting significant concerns about fair measurement of demand, target setting and resources. The Act, brought forward as a Private Members Bill by Kellie Armstong MLA, is of crucial importance as it places a statutory duty for the demand for Integrated Education to be properly defined, measured and met.
A major setback occurred in February when the Department of Education announced that £150 million of funding, originally intended for capital works in 10 Integrated schools and a shared campus in Brookeborough, was repurposed as part of a deal reached to restore the Northern Ireland Executive. Thankfully two of the Integrated schools impacted will still proceed through the Department’s Capital Works programme but the remaining eight Integrated schools are likely to have to wait several years for work to commence. The IEF has noted that the same level of funding was later attributed to the much delayed Shared Education Campus in Omagh.
Throughout the year there have been a number of major research projects, with Queen’s University Belfast (QUB) conducting significant research on the Transformation process and social attitudes of young people in Integrated Education, as well as Ulster University conducting further Transforming Education Research briefings.
Thanks to all our donors the IEF is currently managing around 160 ‘live grants’ totalling over £800,0000 to support Integrated schools and those working towards Transformation. Many of our grant programmes are supported by Hagan Homes in Northern Ireland, along with other donors like the Pears Foundation and several individual donors.
We are also immensely grateful for the continued support of both the British and Irish Governments. The IEF is proud to be a grantee of the Northern Ireland Office as well as a Strategic Partner of the Reconciliation Fund in Ireland. Despite the recent challenges surround the Fresh Start capital funding, there have been many Integrated schools who have still benefitted and the IEF was proud to attend the official openings of new school builds at Roe Valley IPS and Mill Strand IPS.
The IEF is delighted to support the creativity of students through the Carson Awards, sponsored by Tony Carson and also students going on to attend Further and Higher Education and University through the Lincoln Awards sponsored by Geraldine Hughes and Conor Allen.
Our fundraising event highlights this year included the hugely successful Stand-Up for Integrated Education Comedy Night in the Ulster Hall and our annual House of Lord’s Supporters Dinner in London.
To conclude the year, the IEF was able to launch a further major advertising campaign to promote Integrated Education, achieving substantial visibility of our work. Once again, all generously supported by one of our fantastic donors.
The number of schools transforming to Integrated status continues to rise. Public opinion remains strongly in favour of expanding Integrated Education, with new builds and future plans set to increase the number of Integrated school places available.
Thank you for all your support and best wishes for Christmas and the New Year.
