AQW 43304/22-27

Ms Claire Sugden
Independent
East Londonderry

Tabled Date: 26/03/2026
Answered On Date: 27/04/2026
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Education to detail any steps his Department is taking to address the underrepresentation of pupils entitled to free school meals in grammar schools.

Answer:

My Department's guidance on admissions criteria recommends that all post-primary schools, including grammar schools, utilise a criterion related to Free School Meals. However, Boards of Governors are the statutory admissions authority for individual schools, and my Department's role is limited to providing guidance only.

In order to improve outcomes for disadvantaged pupils, my Department supports a range of interventions aimed at addressing social need and raising attainment.

TransformED places tackling educational disadvantage at the heart of education reform in Northern Ireland. It recognises that genuine excellence is impossible without equity, and that pupils from low income backgrounds require not only targeted support but a fundamentally stronger, fairer education system.

TransformED is delivering a comprehensive programme of reform in the areas of curriculum, assessment, qualifications and school improvement, all underpinned by significant investment in Teacher Professional Learning (TPL). The new curriculum will be a powerful driver of equity. Pupils arrive at school with very different levels of background knowledge. A clear, explicit curriculum will ensure that all learners, regardless of starting point, have access to the same essential knowledge.

The most fundamental feature of an education system which promotes social mobility is one in which every child is able to attend a good school. There is a need to secure educational excellence everywhere - so that a pupil, in whatever circumstances, wherever they live, and in any school, receives the highest possible standard of education.