To ask the Minister of Education what support his Department is providing to Bangor Academy and Sixth Form College to transform to Integrated status.

The statutory process for any eligible school to transform to integrated status begins with the parental ballot. My Department paid for the parental ballot for Rathmore Primary School and Bangor Academy and Sixth Form College. Following a successful ballot, work continues to enable a case for change and Development Proposal to be published, which is the current stage for both schools.

My Department has produced guidance, Integration Works, setting out the steps to be taken before and after the statutory process begins – early community and parental engagement underpinning successful transformations.

My Department funds both the Council for Integrated Education (NICIE) and the Education Authority (EA) to provide on the ground support to schools considering transformation – both organisations are sources of operational expertise and can therefore provide such support throughout the transformation process. NICIE has advised that, in the case of Rathmore Primary School, two Senior Development Officers and two Development Officers have worked, and continue to work, with the school. In the case of Bangor Academy and Sixth Form College, two Senior Development Officers and three Development Officers are providing this support. This is in addition to EA officers in the Shared Education and Sectoral Support Team, and Area Planning providing support e.g. for Transformation Action Plans (mechanism by which a school designs their vision for the transformed school, involving a self-evaluation process and a roadmap for the way ahead) and in preparing the cases for change.