North Eastern Education and Library Board Post-Primary Area Plan
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PUTTING PUPILS FIRST: SHAPING OUR FUTURE North Eastern Education and Library Board Post-Primary Area Plan November 2013 CONTENTS Executive Summary Page 2 Proposals Page 5 Chapter 1 Introduction Page 6 Chapter 2 Context Page 7 Chapter 3 NEELB Context Page 11 Chapter 4 Aims, Objectives and Constraints Page 19 Chapter 5 Overall Area Profile Page 27 Chapter 6 The NEELB Central Area Overview Page 41 Chapter 7 Antrim Council Area Page 44 Chapter 8 Ballymena Council Area Page 58 Chapter 9 Magherafelt Council Area Page 75 Chapter 10 The NEELB Northern Area Overview Page 91 Chapter 11 Ballymoney Council Area Page 94 Chapter 12 Coleraine Council Area Page 107 Chapter 13 Moyle Council Area Page 124 Chapter 14 The NEELB Southern Area Overview Page 138 Chapter 15 Carrickfergus Council Area Page 141 Chapter 16 Larne Council Area Page 156 Chapter 17 Newtownabbey Council Area Page 170 Chapter 18 Summary of Proposals Page 186 Appendices Page 189 Page 1 Executive Summary The aim of the Post-primary Area Plan is to develop a network of viable and sustainable schools which can effectively deliver the Northern Ireland Curriculum and the Entitlement Framework (EF). The network of schools must provide access to a range of educational provision that is appropriate to the needs of the children and young people in the North Eastern Education and Library Board (NEELB) area. The final plan for post-primary provision in NEELB has been completed following: • Consideration of responses received from consultation on the draft area plan; • Detailed analysis and consideration of the data and projections included within the plan; • Engagement and consultation with the other school sectors, managing authorities and schools; Information is presented into Central, Northern and Southern clusters of Council areas, with an analysis provided for each of the individual 9 Council areas covered by the NEELB, i.e. Antrim, Ballymena, Ballymoney, Coleraine, Magherafelt, Larne, Newtownabbey, Carrickfergus and Moyle. A profile of population trends which show a continuing decline in projected enrolments to 2018 with a predicted increase up to 2025 within the NEELB is explained in detail within each section of the document. At the time of the October 2012 Annual School Census, post-primary education was available in 49 schools. Since this date Garvagh High School closed on 31st August 2013. Details on enrolments, capacity and the number of unfilled places within each school are presented. The Department of Education (DE) has analysed the post-primary population across Northern Ireland and has forecasted the number of school places required in each Education and Library Board (ELB) area. The Needs Model forecasts that 34,110 post- primary places will be required in the NEELB area in 2025. These projections are based on the latest available published official data1 and 2012/13 DE school census data, and take account of the numbers of pupils who live in one area and attend school in another. It is recognised that these projections become less reliable as planning horizons increase. They are, however, the best available data for planning purposes and have been adopted by all the Boards. The projections will be updated as new official statistics are published. Table1: Actual and Projected Capacity Year Total Pupils NEELB Area 2012 Approved Enrolment Unfilled Places 2012 31845 35,135 4150 2025 34110 35,135 1025 1 Office of National Statistics Page 2 Table 1 shows the capacity within the post-primary sector in the NEELB area. In total there are 4,150 unfilled places2. Based on the current number of school places available there remains a potential for 1,025 unfilled places in 2025; however, given that the reliability of the projections decreases over the 15 year period, this may be considered to meet the 2025 need for places. The NEELB has a statutory obligation to ensure that there is adequate provision of education places to meet the needs of children and young people requiring education within its area. As area planning is an iterative process, the future number of places required will be continually updated as new population forecasts are issued. Sections 6 to 8 of the report provide detailed information on the profile of post-primary provision for each of the 9 Council areas within the NEELB. The key issues to be addressed are: Unfilled Places • The majority of the unfilled places are in 10 post-primary schools (based on 200+ places and excluding Garvagh High School, which closed 31 August 2013). Quality Education • 2 of the 48 post-primary schools have less than 40% of pupils achieving 5A*- C GCSE. • 9 of the 48 post-primary schools have less than 25% of pupils achieving 5A*- C GCSE including English and Maths. • 4 post-primary schools are in Formal Intervention (as at 30 June 2013). Enrolment Thresholds • 19 schools have enrolments that are below the minimum enrolment threshold of 500 for Years 8 to 12. • Of the 39 schools which have a Sixth Form, 11 fall below the minimum enrolment threshold of 100 pupils required for a sustainable Sixth Form. Financial Deficits • 6 schools indicate a projected deficit greater than 5% and less than 25%, or greater than £75,000 (Level 3). • The remaining 29 schools are operating within LMS financial limits (Level 4). NB: Figures not available for Voluntary Grammar (VG) or Grant Maintained Integrated (GMI) schools. 2 Unfilled places are the difference in the enrolment number set by DE and the actual enrolment Page 3 Individual managing authorities are responsible for addressing the above issues depending on the school sector and management type: • NEELB is the managing authority for the Controlled sector. • The Council for Catholic Maintained Schools (CCMS) is the authority for the Maintained sector. • Individual Voluntary Grammar Schools, Grant Maintained Integrated Schools, and Grant Maintained Irish Medium schools are responsible for addressing issues within their own schools through the Board of Governors of each school. The Board is committed to addressing the quality of education provision and other viability issues in controlled schools and is actively engaging with individual controlled schools to address education and other viability issues, concurrently with the process of area planning, where this is possible. The Board acknowledges that the other managing authorities are equally committed to addressing the quality of education provision within their own schools. Page 4 Proposals The NEELB, after discussion with the relevant sectoral bodies and taking into consideration the views expressed from the respondents to the draft area plan, has developed proposals for each post-primary school. The NEELB has a duty, under the Northern Ireland Education and Libraries Order 1986, to secure efficient and sufficient provision of primary and post-primary education within the Board area to meet the needs of all the pupils. Additionally, Article 142 of the Education Reform (NI) Order 1989 places a subsidiary duty on CCMS to promote and co-ordinate the planning of effective provision of Catholic Maintained schools. The following areas were identified by the NEELB as priorities for Early Action (Coleraine, Antrim/Ballymena and Newtownabbey) and have been taken forward by the Board as follows: • Garvagh High School – closed 31 August 2013. • Crumlin College – The North Eastern Education and Library Board is in the process of considering future education provision in Crumlin. • Ballee Community High School – the Board has published a Development Proposal for the closure of the school on 31 August 2013 or as soon as possible thereafter. • Dunclug College – the Board has published a Development Proposal to increase the enrolment of the school. • Cambridge House Grammar School – the Board agreed to further period of consultation on a proposal to reduce the enrolment number to 800 initially with the admission number also reduced to 120. This will be followed by a period of phased growth to 900 by 2025. It is anticipated such growth will begin in 2019. • Coleraine College – to be considered for closure. Consultation period closed 16 September 2013. • Coleraine Academical Institution and Coleraine High School – option to combine to create two separate co-educational schools under the same school names and management types. Consultation period closed 16 September 2013. • Newtownabbey Community High School and Monkstown Community School – A Development Proposal has been published requesting the discontinuance of the two schools and the establishment of a new non-selective post-primary school on the current Monkstown Community School site. Page 5 Chapter 1 Introduction 1.1 In his Statement to the Assembly, on 26 September 2011, the Education Minister, John O’Dowd MLA, highlighted the need to move forward with the implementation of the Department of Education’s Sustainable Schools Policy and the process of strategic planning on an area basis. 1.2 The Minister made it clear that, against the backdrop of an extremely challenging financial landscape in the coming years, progress on reshaping the structure and pattern of education provision could not be delayed. This work is at the core of the raising standards agenda which can only be delivered efficiently and effectively through a network of strong, sustainable schools that command the confidence of the communities they serve. 1.3 The Minister indicated that, until such times as the Education and Skills Authority (ESA) is established, the existing statutory bodies must work together to deliver a more strategic area-based approach to planning the delivery of education. 1.4 The Minister commissioned the Education and Library Boards, working in close conjunction with CCMS and engaging extensively with other school sectors, to develop collective strategic plans on an area basis. 1.5 The focus of the work is on developing a planned network of viable and sustainable schools capable of delivering effectively the revised curriculum and the Entitlement Framework and of providing adequate access to a range of educational provision appropriate to the needs of the pupils and young people in an area.