AQW 33791/22-27

Mr Nick Mathison
Alliance Party
Strangford

Tabled Date: 17/10/2025
Answered On Date: 22/10/2025
Priority Written: Yes

Question:
To ask the Minister of Education to detail (i) the date by which schools must publish their 2026-27 academic year prospectus, including details of their school uniform policy; and (ii) when the guidelines, arising from the School Uniforms (Guidelines and Allowances) Bill, will be published and made available to schools, to ensure they are reflected in their updated school uniform policies.

Answer:

The Education (School Information and Prospectuses) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2003 require a grant-aided primary or post-primary school to publish their prospectus not later than six weeks before the date parents express their preference for a school. This includes information on recommendations and rules relating to the wearing of school uniform.

Parents express their preference for a school via the online admissions portal managed by the Education Authority (EA). The EA’s website advises that the primary school portal opens 7 January 2026, closing 21 January 2026. Therefore, the primary school prospectuses need to be published by 26 November 2025, stretching to 10 December 2025 based on the closing date. The post-primary school portal opens 27 January 2026, closing 19 February 2026. Therefore, the post-primary school prospectuses need to be published by 16 December 2025, stretching to 8 January 2026 based on the closing date.

As I stated at Final Stage of the School Uniforms (Guidelines and Allowances) Bill on 13 October 2025, the guidelines will be made available to schools in the coming weeks. They will have statutory effect on the day after the Bill gains Royal Assent therefore be in operation for the 2026/27 school year.