Straid Primary School applies for integrated status

A County Antrim primary under threat of closure has formally applied to become an integrated school.

The Education Authority (EA) had proposed that Straid Primary, about four miles (6.4km) from Ballyclare, should close in September 2023.

The EA said that was because the school was not sustainable and had low pupil numbers.

But Straid's governors have now submitted a formal development proposal to transform to an integrated school.

Ultimately, it will be up to the education minister to decide on the school's future.

Existing schools can change to become formally integrated as part of a process that includes a ballot of parents to find out if a majority favours integration.

About 80% of the parents of 53 pupils at Straid Primary voted in a ballot in December 2021 and all of those who voted supported the school's move to become integrated.

If the governors' proposal is accepted, the school will gain integrated status in September 2023.

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The primary is the only school in Straid village and is two miles from the nearest alternative school in Ballynure.

In their case for making the change, Straid's governors said they had "a vision to become the first integrated primary school in the Ballyclare area filling the demand for integrated education which is not currently available".

They also said they believed that more parents in the area would decide to send their children to the school if it was integrated, estimating that pupil numbers would rise from 53 to 74 over the next four years.

Schools can apply to change to an integrated status with support from parents

However, the minimum number of pupils in a rural primary recommended by the Department of Education (DE) is 105.

But Straid's governors said that hundreds of new houses were due to be built in the Ballyclare area over the next few years.

'Demise of rural community'

The majority of pupils at the school are from a Protestant background, but the governors said they would be able to attract more pupils from Catholic or other backgrounds in future.

They also warned that "the absence of primary education provision in Straid village would be to the demise of a rural, vibrant community".

When the EA consulted on their initial proposal to close Straid in 2021, 86 out of 89 responses opposed the plan.

Two other local schools - Doagh Primary and Toreagh Primary - supported Straid in their campaign against closure.

"A village school is more than a place for teaching and learning - it is a hub of the community for everyone and we sincerely and strongly support them in their endeavour to remain an essential part of Straid village as they have been for years," they said in a submission to the EA.

There have been concerns, however, from some sectoral bodies and churches about the effect of the new legislation on schools that are not integrated.