AQW 23920/17-22

Mr Andrew Muir
Alliance Party
North Down

Tabled Date: 07/10/2021
Answered On Date: 25/10/2021
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Education to list those schools affected by the decision to categorise Voluntary Grammar and Grant Maintained Integrated schools in Northern Ireland as Non-Departmental Public Bodies requiring Department of Education budget cover for any borrowings undertaken, broken down by (i) Voluntary Grammar Type A; (ii) Voluntary Grammar Type B; and (iii) Grant Maintained Integrated schools.

Answer:

As a number of your questions relate to the same issue, I have responded to each of them in the combined response below.

The value of borrowings undertaken by Voluntary Grammar and Grant Maintained Integrated schools for the last ten financial years, based on information held by the Department, is set out in Table A below.

Work is ongoing by the Department in seeking to challenge the classification status of Voluntary Grammar and Grant Maintained Integrated schools as Non Departmental Public Bodies (NDPBs) and the consequent impact on borrowing. The Department’s current assessment is that this matter does not impact on the stewardship role of Trustees of these schools, although this will be kept under review.

The list of Voluntary Grammar and Grant Maintained Integrated schools categorised as NDPBs is set out in Table B below.

As advised above, work is ongoing by the Department in seeking to challenge the impact on borrowing by these schools as a result of their NDPB classification status, although the issues involved are complex. Most recently the Department has sought further legal advice in relation to this matter and is currently awaiting a response.

Table A

School	2011-12 (£)	2012-13 (£)	2013-14 (£)	2014-15 (£)	2015-16 (£)	2016-17 (£)	2017-18 (£)	2018-19 (£)	2019-20 (£)	2020-21 (£)
Bangor Grammar School	398,328	586,158	11,809	13,191	-	-	-	-	-	-
Rathmore Grammar School	-	-	200,000	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Friends’ School	-	-	550,000	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Sullivan Upper School	-	-	-	-	-	-	500,000	-	-	-
Methodist College	-	-	-	-	-	-	600,000	-	1,000,000	-
Belfast High School	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	210,000	-
Campbell College	-	-	4,100,000	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Wallace High School	-	-	-	-	-	100,000	-	-	-	-
Ballymena Academy	-	-	-	-	861,000	-	-	-	-	-
Royal School Armagh	-	-	-	28,887	-	-	-	-	-	-

Note 1: Royal School Armagh has a second loan, the balance outstanding at 31 March 2019 was £185,845. The Department does not hold any further information regarding this loan.

Note 2: The information in the table relates only to borrowing/loans undertaken by Voluntary Grammar and Grant Maintained Integrated schools. It does not include any debts which may relate to grant recovery.

Table B

List of Voluntary Grammar & Grant Maintained Integrated Schools
DE Reference Number	School Name
Voluntary Grammar Group 'A'
142-0021	St Mary's Christian Brothers' Grammar, Belfast
142-0022	Methodist College, Belfast
142-0028	Belfast Royal Academy
142-0029	St Dominic's High School, Belfast
142-0030	St Malachy's College, Belfast
142-0082	Dominican College, Belfast
142-0089	Strathearn School, Belfast
142-0095	Rathmore Grammar, Belfast
142-0264	Victoria College, Belfast
142-0265	Hunterhouse College, Belfast
142-0277	Aquinas Diocesan Grammar, Belfast
242-0041	Mount Lourdes Grammar, Enniskillen
242-0043	St Michael's College, Enniskillen
242-0052	Thornhill College, Londonderry
242-0054	St Columb's College, Londonderry
242-0064	Christian Brothers' Grammar, Omagh
242-0065	Loreto Grammar, Omagh
242-0229	Foyle College, Londonderry
242-0287	Lumen Christi College, Londonderry
242-0320	Enniskillen Royal Grammar
342-0010	St Louis Grammar, Ballymena
342-0011	Ballymena Academy
342-0012	Dalriada School, Ballymoney
342-0034	Loreto College, Coleraine
342-0046	Larne Grammar School
342-0058	Rainey Endowed School, Magherafelt
342-0068	Dominican College, Portstewart
342-0077	Belfast High School
342-0080	St Mary's Grammar, Magherafelt
342-0317	Coleraine Grammar
442-0015	Bangor Grammar School
442-0044	Sullivan Upper School, Holywood
442-0050	Friends' School, Lisburn
442-0051	Wallace High School, Lisburn
442-0086	Assumption Grammar, Ballynahinch
442-0088	St Patrick's Grammar, Downpatrick
442-0259	Our Lady and St Patrick's College Belfast
542-0045	St Louis Grammar, Kilkeel
542-0059	Abbey Christian Brothers Grammar, Newry
542-0060	Our Lady's Grammar, Newry
542-0062	St Colman's College, Newry
542-0073	St Joseph's Grammar School, Donaghmore
542-0076	Sacred Heart Grammar, Newry
542-0260	The Royal School, Dungannon
542-0263	The Royal School, Armagh
542-0268	St Patrick's Grammar, Armagh
542-0304	St Patrick's Academy, Dungannon
542-0314	St Ronan's College
Voluntary Grammar Group 'B'
142-0020	Campbell College, Belfast
142-0027	The Royal Belfast Academical Institution
Grant Maintained Integrated
306-6568	Acorn Integrated Primary
306-6551	Braidside Integrated Primary
506-6540	Bridge Integrated Primary
406-6588	Cedar Integrated Primary
306-6561	Corran Integrated Primary
106-6580	Cranmore Integrated Primary
406-6668	Drumlins Integrated Primary
206-6549	Enniskillen Integrated Primary
106-6531	Hazelwood Integrated Primary
406-6579	Lough View Integrated Primary & Nursery School
306-6652	Maine Integrated Primary
306-6544	Mill Strand Integrated Primary
406-6644	Millennium Integrated Primary
206-6558	Oakgrove Integrated Primary
406-6611	Oakwood Integrated Primary
206-6552	Omagh Integrated Primary
506-6657	Phoenix Integrated Primary
506-6553	Portadown Integrated Primary
206-6665	Roe Valley Integrated Primary
406-6682	Rowandale Integrated Primary
506-6578	Saints & Scholars Integrated Primary
306-6613	Spires Integrated Primary
506-6554	Windmill Integrated Primary
426-0309	Blackwater Integrated College
226-0283	Drumragh Integrated College
526-0286	Integrated College Dungannon
226-0280	Erne Integrated College
126-0269	Hazelwood Integrated College
426-0255	Lagan Integrated College
126-0294	Malone Integrated College
526-0285	New-Bridge Integrated College
326-0290	North Coast Integrated College
226-0276	Oakgrove Integrated College
426-0281	Shimna Integrated College
326-0289	Slemish Integrated College
326-0303	Sperrin Integrated College
426-0295	Strangford Integrated College
326-0299	Ulidia Integrated College