Children from Killowen Primary School celebrate "It's a 'Yes'!"
The school community of Killowen Primary School in Coleraine are celebrating today, as parents have voted in favour of the school transforming to Integrated status.
Killowen Primary School is a thriving primary school in Coleraine. The school vision is that ‘children come first.’ This nurturing, caring atmosphere focuses on developing the whole child ‘both socially and emotionally’ and is what inspired the school community to look at the process of Transformation to become an Integrated school.
Mrs Moon, Principal of Killowen Primary School, commented:
“Killowen is celebrating the official start of the exciting journey to become a Controlled Integrated Primary School.
"We are privileged to serve at the heart of such a diverse, forward-thinking community. We are so grateful for the never-ending support of parents, staff, governors and our wider community.
"The self-esteem and talents of all our children are nurtured in a positive environment, where equality for all children is of paramount importance.
"Together, we will build upon this existing excellent practice and we look forward to continuing to provide high-quality education in a caring, family environment, whilst embracing the opportunities that lie ahead.”
No school can become Integrated without the consent of a majority of parents. Therefore, in order to begin the process to become an Integrated school, a democratic ballot must be held and the majority of parents must vote in favour of the change in status.
The ballot was carried out by Civica Election Services, and every adult registered as a parent or guardian was eligible to vote. 75.7% of voting parents supported the move to Integrated status.
Tina Merron, Chief Executive of the Integrated Education Fund (IEF), said:
“We applaud the result of this parental ballot at Killowen Primary School in Coleraine. Killowen Primary School will join the thriving network of Integrated schools serving the North Coast area.
We commend the Board of Governors for giving their parents this opportunity.
"The results from other parental ballots held in recent years suggest that when parents are informed and engaged on the issue of Integrated status for their child’s school, then an overwhelming majority tend to vote in favour. This is most encouraging and reflects the results of many public attitude surveys held on this important issue.”
Roisin Marshall, Chief Executive Officer of the Council for Integrated Education (NICIE), said:
"It is great to see an increase in demand for Integrated Education in the Coleraine area. NICIE is pleased to see parents voting yes for Integrated status at Killowen Primary and we look forward to working with the school on their Transformation journey."
The next step for the school will be compiling a Development Proposal, which will be submitted to the Department of Education including a Transformation Action Plan. The Minister for Education will then make the final decision.
Almost every school in the country, apart from hospital and special schools, can apply to Transform to Integrated status and the parental ballot is a major step in this journey. The IEF and Council for Integrated Education provide support and advice for parents, staff and Governors considering taking the first steps to Integrated Education.
If you would like further information on Integrated Education and the process of Transformation, please visit our website at ief.org.uk