Notification for post-primary admission applications
On Saturday 21 May 2022, parents/guardians were informed of the outcome of their child’s post-primary school application(s) via email.
This is the second year that post-primary admissions have been processed via EA’s online portal and additional improvements have been made to deliver an efficient and user-friendly experience.
A total of 23,795 children are due to transfer to post-primary next September, with almost 99% of children currently placed in a school of their choice and 88.68% securing a place at their first preference school.
Commenting on this year’s process, Frances Meehan, Assistant Director for the Education Authority (EA) said: “Moving to parental notifications through email was the next step in our digital-first approach and part of our continued commitment to provide simple, efficient solutions for families.
“Almost 99 per cent of all children placed in one of their school preferences, with almost 89 per cent of applicants placed in their first preference school.
“We appreciate that this can be a stressful time for families who have not yet received confirmation of a placement and we have emailed them today (Saturday 21 May) to outline the next steps in the process and offer support and guidance. A list of schools which still have places available will also be live from tomorrow morning on our website”
EA’s admissions team are available to provide support and guidance via the admissions helpline from 9am – midday today (Saturday 21 May) and next week from Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm; alternatively, parents can email:
postprimaryadmissions@eani.org.uk .
Frances added: “It’s also important to note that the admissions process for children with a statement of special educational needs (SEN) is managed separately to ensure each child receives a suitable placement that will cater to their individual needs.
“This is managed on a case by case basis and children are informed once their school placement has been finalised, rather than on a fixed date.
“We do however recognise that this can be a stressful time for children and young people and our dedicated team of Link Officers are working closely with families and schools to agree appropriate placements to best meet children’s needs.”
Parents of children with a statement of SEN with any concerns are encouraged to contact their Link Officer or the SEN Helpline on 028 9598 5960. The help desk will reopen at 9am on Monday 23 May.
Helpful information is available on EA’s website:
https://www.eani.org.uk/parents/special-educational-needs-sen/sen-contact-details
Clarification of EA’s Role in Post Primary Admissions:
The Education Authority (EA) does not determine which children are allocated school places. The responsibility for determining and applying admissions criteria rests with the Board of Governors of each school.
Under Article 12 of the Education (NI) Order 1997 responsibility for determining and varying a school’s admission number rests with the Department of Education (DE).
Stats:
| 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | |
| Total number of pupils transferring | 22684 | 23949 | 23888 | 23535 | 23795 |
| Number of pupils placed in a school | 22371 (98.62%) | 23723 (99.06%) | 23714(99.27%) | 23255 (98.81%) | 23551 (98.97%) |
| Number of pupils places in their 1st preference school | 19588 (86.4%) | 20776 (86.74%) | 20951(87.7%) | 19884 (84.49%) | 21102 (88.68%) |
| Number of pupils who have not yet secured a place | 313 (1.38) | 226 (0.94%) | 174 (0.73%) | 280 (1.19%) | 244 (1.03%) |
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