AQW 12461/22-27

Ms Claire Sugden
Independent
East Londonderry

Tabled Date: 23/05/2024
Answered On Date: 28/05/2024
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Education (i) for his assessment of the sustainable schools policy and how this impacts small, rural schools where numbers are typically low; and (ii) to detail his plans to review this in order to protect rural schools and safeguard rural communities.

Answer:

(i) The Sustainable Schools Policy (SSP) sets the vision for every learner to achieve his or her full potential at each stage of development. At its core is the aim of ensuring that all pupils have access to a high quality, broad and balanced curriculum that meets their educational needs in schools that are educationally and financially viable. So, notwithstanding publication in 2009, the vision set out in the SSP remains appropriate.

The SSP is the framework, used by schools and school managing authorities, for assessing the viability and long-term sustainability of schools and as such is the cornerstone for the Area Planning process. The policy recognises the needs of rural communities and this is reflected in a lower enrolment threshold for rural primary schools, an accessibility criterion which provides guidance on home to school travel times and a ‘strong links with the community’ criterion which recognises the central place a school has for many communities.

(ii) Departmental officials have completed an internal consultation on the recommendations from the Independent Review of Education. A paper is now being produced for my consideration outlining the findings. I expect that this will include comments on the SSP. I will consider the need to commission a full review of SSP after I have received this paper.