AQW 35253/22-27

Mrs Michelle Guy
Alliance Party
Lagan Valley

Tabled Date: 11/11/2025
Answered On Date: 18/11/2025
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Education to detail the number of schools that currently have pupil numbers under the sustainable enrolment thresholds for established schools.

Answer:

The Sustainable Schools Policy adopts the enrolment thresholds as recommended in the Bain Report. The report recommends that, as a minimum, an urban primary school should have 140 pupils, and rural primary schools should have 105 pupils (excluding supernumerary) in recognition of population levels in rural areas.

In relation to post-primary schools a minimum enrolment of 500 pupils for Years 8-12 recommended, and 6th Forms should have a minimum of 100 pupils (excluding supernumerary). There are 245 primary schools below their respective recommended enrolment (202 are rural primary schools and 43 are urban primary schools).

In relation to post-primary schools there are 58 schools below the recommended minimum of 500 pupils for Years 8-12, and there are 35 schools below the recommended minimum of 100 pupils for post-16. This does not include those schools which do not provide post-16 provision (32).