As part of their outreach work the Integrate My School team would like to invite you to join them for a conversation about education in your area.

Across Northern Ireland there is increasing demand for more integrated places for pupils at both primary and post primary level. However not all parents know that they can bring about this change for their school community through a process called Transformation. (more…)

DE Release:

The wearing of face coverings on all dedicated school buses and public transport will be mandatory for all post-primary children when schools reopen next week.

Currently, it is mandatory for passengers aged over 13 to wear a face covering on public transport and Department of Education guidance strongly recommends that all pupils should wear a face covering on all buses, trains or taxis for the journey to school. Those aged 12 and under and/or those using a dedicated home to school transport vehicle are not required to do so. (more…)

DE Release:

Education Minister Peter Weir has welcomed funding of almost £64 million to help schools manage Education Authority pressures, COVID-19 pressures and for free school meals.

The funding, which has been allocated as part of the October monitoring round, includes £49.4 million to cover additional costs such as maintenance, staffing, cleaning and other pressures, and £12.8 million to cover for a range of pressures including those in Special Educational Needs, and schools maintenance. There is also £1.4 million to cover free school meals funding over the extended half-term break. (more…)

DE Release 22 October:

Education Minister Peter Weir has welcomed the Executive’s decision to extend Free School Meal payments to cover the Halloween break.

The Executive decided that support was vital for families struggling financially due to Covid19.

Welcoming the Executive’s decision the Minister said “I welcome the decision taken by the Executive today to extend this vital support over the Halloween break for families struggling financially due to Covid19. (more…)

The Department of Education has launched a public appointments competition to appoint a Chairperson and at least five Members to the Board of the Council for the Curriculum Examinations & Assessment (CCEA).

CCEA is a Department of Education sponsored non-departmental public body, and is responsible for keeping under review all aspects of the curriculum, examinations and assessment for schools including developing, conducting and moderating qualifications and assessments. (more…)

Schools and other education settings will have the half-term holiday break extended from 19 to 30 October.

The Department of Education is asking schools to use two of their existing Optional Days with the remainder of the additional time off through the use of automatically allocated Exceptional Closure Days. Schools and other education settings will reopen on Monday, 2 November.

Schools will be closed to all pupils during these two weeks including vulnerable children and for children of key workers. (more…)