AQW 26143/22-27

Mr Nick Mathison
Alliance Party
Strangford

Tabled Date: 28/04/2025
Answered On Date: 30/04/2025
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Education to detail the rights that parents hold to challenge a school's published admissions criteria.

Answer:

The setting of admissions criteria is solely a matter for the Boards of Governors (BoGs) of individual schools and my department has no power to set criteria. My department does, however, issue guidance on the transfer process, including on recommended admissions criteria, which BoGs must by law “have regard to”.

There is no route to challenge a school’s published admissions criteria, other than via Judicial Review.