Admissions Support

Use our Find a School section to find pre-schools/schools in your area and read their admissions criteria.

Further information including how to apply is available at Applying for a School Place.

If you wish to apply for a school place in Years 2-7 or Years 9-12 please complete the AP1 form available at In-Year Transfer Between Schools.

All pre-schools/schools will require the birth certificate to verify a child’s name and date of birth. Either a full (long) or short birth certificate may be used or an amended birth certificate or an adoption certificate, where appropriate, is acceptable. If a birth certificate is not available you should consult the pre-school/school to determine what alternatives may be acceptable e.g. a biometric card, passport, medical card etc.

You should refer to the admissions criteria to find out if other supporting documents are required by each of the pre-schools/schools you have chosen e.g. proof of address.

• Gather all the required documents (in some cases this may be the birth certificate only). 
• For GDPR purposes you may wish to remove personal/sensitive/private information from your documents before uploading e.g. financial details in bank statements.
• You can attach multiple documents under each category of document type if required.

Do not upload documents unless they are required by the admissions criteria of any of the pre-schools/schools listed on your application.

Socially Disadvantaged Circumstances (SDC) (applicable to Pre-School)

For information on what socially disadvantaged circumstances means when applying for a funded pre-school place and how to provide proof of benefit entitlement if applicable to you, visit Applying for a Pre-School Place and see information on Socially Disadvantaged Circumstances.

As the definition of eldest child may differ from school to school you should carefully read and check if there is any particular definition of eldest child in the admissions criteria of all the schools you are applying, e.g. some schools may place a particular definition which includes children who are the eldest eligible child to transfer. 

If your child is the eldest or only child of the family you should tick the relevant box when adding your child’s details on your application.  Please note that when this box is ticked, the box for ‘Eldest girl/boy in family (applicable for single sex schools) is also automatically ticked.

If your child is not the eldest child, but rather is the eldest boy or eldest girl of the family, you should tick the appropriate box on the application as this may be relevant to the admissions criteria where you are applying to single-sex schools.

If appropriate, include any information which may be relevant to your child’s circumstances in the text box for each individual school preference as well as ticking the relevant eldest child/eldest boy/eldest girl box when making your application.

You need to outline how your child meets the admissions criteria of each pre-school/school listed.  The information you type will only be seen by the pre-school/school named above the box.  Therefore, if there are reasons relating to admissions criteria which are also relevant to your other pre-school/school preferences you will need to indicate these again in the application when you list those pre-school/school preferences.

If you have already typed up your reasons as per the published admissions criteria, you can copy and paste them into this textbox.  There is a 3000 character limit on the text box at each preference in which you can describe how your child meets the admissions criteria. You may also upload a document(s) with this information later in the application if you need to.  Any documents which are uploaded will be visible to any pre-school/school that considers your child’s application.

It is extremely important that you provide all relevant details on your application as this information will be used by individual pre-schools/schools to determine which children will be selected for admission.

We recommend at least four preferences* be nominated as there is no guarantee your child will be offered a place in your first preference pre-school/school.

*For Post Primary Year 8 applications we recommend at least one non-grammar school is listed.

If you list an integrated school(s) as a preference, please ensure you complete the ‘Additional Information’ section on the application form as this information is required by integrated schools to apply their balance, as stated in their published admissions criteria. 

If applying online this information will only be visible to integrated schools that you list on your online application.  You will be presented with an additional question at the end of the application to select your child’s community background from the options Protestant community, Roman Catholic community or None/Other.  You may also provide any additional information relating to an individual school's admissions criteria in the ‘Your School Choices’ text box for each school listed e.g. if you are in a mixed religion marriage.

If applying using a paper form, all information you provide, including that relating to your child’s community background, may be visible to any school listed as a preference on your paper form which considers the application.  If, when applying on a paper form, you wish to keep your community background private from other schools, you should contact the integrated school(s) you wish to apply for, to find an agreed alternative method of providing this information e.g. some integrated schools may have a separate pro-forma that you can complete and submit directly to the school.

You can only make one application for your child.  Otherwise, you will have made a false declaration.  In the event that a parent is discovered to have lodged more than one application for a child, then the first application lodged will normally be treated as the formal expression of parental preference and their other applications will not be considered.

You should not create your child’s details more than once in the ‘My Applications’ section.  An on-screen prompt will alert you if you attempt to create the same child name more than once.  If you have made an error and/or need to amend your child’s details simply click ‘Edit Child Details’ and make the changes as necessary.

By exception to the above position, should duplicate applications be submitted by parents/or those with parental responsibility where agreement on a child’s application has not been reached, the EA will process the applications and make contact with all parties as set out in the section below ‘Parents disagree on which schools to apply to/priority order for preferences’.

Only one application can be processed for your child. The system will highlight where 2 applications have been made and you will be contacted by EA Admissions to withdraw one of these applications.

In the case where there is disagreement between parents/guardians and two applications are lodged with different preferences and/or addresses, the Education Authority’s Admissions Service will contact both parties asking them to agree on a single application to go forward for processing. 

In cases where parents cannot agree on the preferences for their child they should endeavour to do so as soon as possible.  If mutual agreement is not possible ultimately you may need to obtain a Specific Issues Order from the court.  If an agreement on a valid application form to be processed is not received separate applications will continue to be processed until an agreement is made or a court order is provided.  If you require further advice you should contact the EA Admissions Helpdesk.

• Every mother automatically has parental responsibility for her child, as does every father who is married to the mother at the time of the birth.
• A father of a child acquires parental responsibility if his name has been put on the child’s birth certificate (applies to children born after 15 April 2002).
• Both parents can enter a parental responsibility agreement.
• The Court can make a Parental Responsibility Order in favour of the father.
• Parental responsibility may also be acquired under the provisions of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 2008.
• Step-parents may acquire Parental Responsibility by way of Court Order.
• If the court makes an order for the child to reside with someone who does not already hold parental responsibility, that person will obtain parental responsibility by virtue of that order as long as the residence order remains in force.
• Social Services acquire Parental Responsibility on the issuing of a Care Order or Interim Care Order. Where a child is made subject to a Care Order, the Local Authority/Trust is given Parental Responsibility and will share it with current Parental Responsibility holders, for example, the child’s parents.  However the Trust can exercise Parental Responsibility above that of the current Parental Responsibility holders insofar as necessary to safeguard the welfare of a child.
• An adoptive parent when an adoption order is made.
• An individual can acquire Parental Responsibility on the foot of an appointment as a guardian by the court in certain circumstances such as the death of a parent.
• There are situations where a parent can lose Parental Responsibility by way of court order, for example where step-parents hold an order for Parental Responsibility for a child who is subsequently adopted.

The address you use on your child’s application must be the home address at which they are currently resident.  It cannot be that of a childminder or grandparent’s home, or any other address which is not their normal residence.

If you are planning to move house before the beginning of the school year, you should indicate this on your application for each school you are applying to, giving as much information as possible about the planned date of moving and address, if known.

If you move house after the closing date, during the selection process, you can change your address and your child’s address (if appropriate) on EA Connect.  Please note it will be for the school(s) to determine the address to be used when applying the admissions criteria, if your child’s address is relevant to the criteria.  You may also be asked for documentation to verify your move.

If you have submitted a late application, you should email the relevant admissions service with your child’s details, old address and new address.

You can still make an application for a preschool/school place, however, priority is given to children residing in Northern Ireland at the time of their proposed admission.

If you are planning to move to Northern Ireland, when completing the application, you must use the address you are currently residing at the time of the completion of your application. Boards of Governors/Management Committees can only use a new address once your child is residing at the new address. You should notify the Education Authority and the pre-school/school in writing, preferably via email, when you have moved. You may need to provide verification of your move.

If your child’s date of birth is outside the normal age range for transfer to Primary 1 or Year 8 in Northern Ireland, you should complete an application for the appropriate year group for your child’s age.  See In-Year Transfer Between Schools for more information on applying to other year groups.

A newcomer family refers to any family for whom English is not their home language and where they may require support.

Reachdeck (translation tool) is available on the EA Connect application portal and on the EA Website. 

If you require further support in making an application for a pre-school or school, please contact one of our Helpdesks below:-

Admissions Helpdesk or Intercultural Education Service Helpdesk

Pre-School Education is not compulsory although good quality pre-school education has important benefits. Parents make an application for a funded place on the understanding that their child will attend 5 days per week if offered a place. This will enable their child to benefit fully from a quality pre-school experience.

Exceptions

Special Educational Needs

If your child is currently undergoing statutory assessment and does not yet have a Statement of Special Educational Needs, you will still need to apply for a pre-school funded place.

If your child has a Statement of Special Educational Needs, placement will be discussed with you as part of the annual review of your child’s statement.  The Statutory Assessment & Review Service (SARS) will arrange the placement, therefore an application should not be made via Admissions on EA Connect.

If you require more information on any of the above, please contact the EA’s Statutory Assessment & Review Service directly on 028 9031 7777, Option 1.

No and even if you have given your name to a provider, you will still need to apply for admission.

Pre-School legislation enables parents to list full-time or part-time preferences, it does not recognise morning and afternoon sessions as preferences. The admissions criteria will inform you if a pre-school setting offers a morning and afternoon session. You can mention a morning or afternoon session under ‘Your School Choices’ text box in your application. The allocation of a morning or afternoon session is a decision taken by the respective pre-school setting and there is no guarantee that you will be offered a morning session over an afternoon or vice-versa.

No.  A child is only entitled to one funded pre-school place e.g. a child may not have a funded place in a playgroup in the morning and attend a nursery school/unit in the afternoon.

If you wish, you may contact any private or voluntary provider of your choice directly with regard to a fee paying place for your child.

No, if your child is under the age of 2 you can make contact with the Early Years Organisation or Family Support NI for further advice 

Early Years Organisation

Family Support NI

All funded pre-school education settings must follow common pre-school curricular guidance to plan and organise the children's learning.  Pre-school settings provide important opportunities for indoor and outdoor play in a stimulating environment and also enable your child to socialise regularly with other children.   More detail on pre-school education is available on the CCEA website at CCEA - Pre-school.

If your child reaches the age of 4 on or before 1 July, they will commence primary school at the beginning of the following September of that year.  

Exceptions

Please also see Deferral of School Starting Age

• Special Educational Needs Applications

If your child is currently undergoing statutory assessment and does not yet have a Statement of Special Educational Needs, you will still need to apply for a primary place.

If your child has a Statement of Special Educational Needs, placement will be discussed with you as part of the annual review of your child’s statement. The Statutory Assessment & Review Service (SARS) will arrange the placement; therefore an application should not be made via Admissions on EA Connect.

If you require more information on any of the above, please contact the EA’s Statutory Assessment & Review Service directly on 028 9031 7777, option 1.

• Children currently enrolled in a Reception Class

If your child is currently enrolled in the Reception Class of a primary school and you wish for them to continue their primary one education at the same school then a new application is not required.  However, if you wish to apply for your child to be admitted to a different primary school then you must complete an application for consideration.

• Preparatory Departments and Independent Schools

For information on making application to the Preparatory Departments of grammar schools or to Independent Schools you should contact the schools directly. 

Special Circumstances and Special Provisions are relevant only to those schools which use SEAG Entrance Assessment results in their selection process.  Brief generic descriptions are accessible on the Applying for a Post Primary Year 8 Place section of the EA website (see Entrance Assessment – Special Provisions and Special Circumstances).  For more detailed information read carefully the admissions criteria of your preferred schools to determine if you need to make a claim for your child on their application.  The particular definition of these terms may differ from school to school.  If you are unsure of the meaning of something you have read in a school’s admissions criteria, you should contact the Post Primary school directly for clarification. 

If you list any school that considers claims for Special Circumstances and/or Special Provisions within the admissions criteria, you will be presented with a ‘Yes/No’ question on your child’s application.  If you consider that Special Circumstances or Special Provision may apply to your child then you need to indicate this on your application and you must upload all relevant documentation to support your claim, as required by the individual school’s admissions criteria.

Ensure you provide all relevant evidence as schools will only consider the information that you supply at the time of application.

If you cannot find a school on the list please ensure you have spelled the name correctly or check if it is an independent school or a special school. 

For information on applying to independent schools please contact the school directly. If you accept a place in an independent school you should formally notify the withdrawal of your application from other schools. You should also notify the Education Authority’s Post Primary Admissions Office via email to postprimaryadmissions@eani.org.uk

DO NOT complete an application if your child has a formal Statement of Special Educational Needs. There is a separate admissions procedure where the Post Primary School placement is discussed with you as part of the review of your child's statement. Therefore, application should not be made via EA Connect. For information on the progress of SEN assessments or school placements please contact the EA’s SEN Service directly.

Before 12 noon Thursday 19 February 2026

If you need to make changes to your child’s application after you have submitted it you may do so until 12 noon on 19 February 2026 by logging in to EA Connect and clicking ‘View/Edit Application’.  You can make changes to your child’s details, school choices, reasons and/or documents uploaded as necessary. Your changes will be automatically saved when you click ‘Save’ or ‘Continue’. Preview your child’s application and ensure you are satisfied with the content before logging out.

Between 12 noon Thursday 19 February and 4pm Tuesday 24 February 2026

Tuesday 24 February 2026 at 4pm is the final date/time for receipt of additional information or changes of preference in exceptional circumstances.  If, in exceptional circumstances, you wish to provide additional information to be considered or change your child’s school preference(s) you must submit a request in writing to the Education Authority, by email if possible, to postprimaryadmissions@eani.org.uk.  You will need to provide your child’s details and set out the exceptional circumstances for consideration. This is also the last date you can upload supporting documents to a submitted Application on EA Connect. If you started an application on EA Connect but did not submit before 12 noon Thursday 19 February, contact the Admissions Helpdesk as soon as possible.

After 4pm Tuesday 24 February 2026

After 4 pm on Tuesday 24 February 2026 no changes or new information in any circumstances will be processed until after conclusion of the admissions procedure on Saturday 9 May 2026.

Children entitled to free school meals (FSME) may be prioritised for admission to some Post-Primary schools. You should tick the box on the application if your child is currently registered with the EA as being entitled to free school meals. 

*The above does not apply to Pre-School, Primary 1 or Reception Applications.

The tables below provide a breakdown of the number of applications for Year 8 places received and considered by each post primary school during the admissions procedure and the number of children admitted, by preference.  The figures are collated by Constituency and reflect the position at the end of the timetabled admissions procedure in each of the last three years, according to records held by the Education Authority, which administers the procedure.

Schools, as part of their admissions criteria, also publish application and admissions information.  The figures contained in the information provided by individual schools may differ as they may be from a different point in time.

Check for an email from the Education Authority, which is sent automatically when you register, usually within a few minutes.  However, it may take longer in peak periods. Please check in your ‘spam’ or ‘junk’ folders. If you are unable to find it, please contact the Admissions Helpdesk email on digital@eani.org.uk

Try copying and pasting the link directly into your internet browser. If you continue to experience difficulties contact the Admissions Helpdesk email on digital@eani.org.uk 

If your address does not appear, click ‘Enter address manually’, fill out the appropriate fields and click ‘Save Address’. A prompt will be displayed to remind you to update your child’s address in ‘Edit Child’. Please ensure to do this, if appropriate.  Click ‘Save’, you will then receive an on-screen message telling you that your details have been updated. 

You can request to reset your password on the login screen by clicking “Forgot Password?” and entering the email address you used to register the account. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process. You will need to click on the link within two hours. Please note, an automated email will only be generated if the email address is registered on EA Connect. 

If you change your email address, you will need to complete the verification process before you can use your account. Please note you will have to use your old email address to log in to EA Connect. When you log in click on ‘My Information’ to view your registered details. Under ‘New Email’ enter the email address you wish to change to. You will receive a verification email with a link to verify your account.  Once you have verified your account, you can log in to EA Connect. 

To change your personal details e.g. home address or contact details, log in to EA Connect, click on ‘My Information’, change your details and click ‘Update’.

Up to 12 preferences can be added to an Admissions Application on EA Connect. If you wish to add more schools please email the details to the appropriate Admissions Helpdesk. Ensure you include the full school name, details of any siblings currently attending and how your child meets the school’s admissions criteria. EA Admissions service will hold the details on file and add them to your application if required.

Check that you have not navigated back to the EA website.

Within EA Connect if you cannot find a pre-school/school on the list please ensure you have spelled the name correctly or check if it is a private playgroup, an independent school or a special school.

Carefully select those pre-schools/schools that you wish to nominate as some pre-schools/schools have similar names e.g. St Patrick’s College, Banbridge, St Patrick’s College, Dungannon.

Abbreviations used in pre-school setting names are as follows:

FT: Full-time places

PT: Part-time places

PG: Playgroup

PS NU: Nursery Unit in a primary school

You can add and change the order of your preferences by dragging and dropping from the three lines or preference number to the left-hand side of the pre-school setting or school name. 

You cannot list the same pre-school/school twice, except where different types of provision are being offered by the same pre-school/school, in which case you can apply for either or both i.e., full-time and part-time pre-school provision, English and Irish Medium Units in primary and post primary schools, boarding option in post primary schools.

Once you have submitted your application you will receive an email confirmation from the Education Authority.  If you do not receive the email, please check your Junk or Spam accounts.  Also check to make sure you have clicked the ‘Submit’ button on your application.

Our online resources and information can be translated by ReachDeck Accessibility Tool in a range of languages. ReachDeck is also available on EA Connect.

Further Assistance

Parents can contact the Admissions Helpdesk Monday to Friday 8.30am - 4.30pm by

Telephone: 028 9047 0177

or email: digital@eani.org.uk

For email addresses for each sector please visit Admissions Helpdesk.

I cannot access the files or photos on my device – Check the permissions setting on the browser you are using. This varies on different devices. On an Android device go to your device Settings > Apps > click on the internet browser app you are using (Chrome or Microsoft Edge) > Permissions > Camera (and Files and Media) > Allow only while using the app. You can go back through this sequence to turn off permissions when you have submitted the required documents.  

Unable to select a saved document – Check that the document is saved on your device correctly. Check that the document has a suitable extension (Supported file types are pdf, jpeg, img, doc, docx, png, txt, rtf, odt, ppt, pptx, odp, xls, xlsx, ods, heic). If the problem persists, contact digital@eani.org.uk 

Document fails to upload – Check that the document has the correct extension and try saving as a document with the appropriate extension. Check the file size, the file size is 15MB. If using a device with the ability to take a photo, try taking a photo of the paper document and submitting this. If the problem persists, contact the Admissions Helpdesk. Telephone 028 9047 0177 or email digital@eani.org.uk 

I cannot Preview my document:

• Document previews are unavailable on Microsoft documents due to a restriction implemented by Microsoft.
• A limit has been put on the PDF Preview to only show the first 5 pages of the document, this should be enough for you to see that you have uploaded the correct document to your application.
• If the document states ‘Awaiting Scan’, click ‘Continue’ or refresh your screen and the scan should be complete.

If you are at the Documents Upload section of the application, click the down arrow to the right of the document you wish to delete and click ‘Delete’ Click ‘Yes’ to confirm deletion. You may then click on ‘Add Document’ to upload an alternative document, if required.  

If you are at the ‘Application Summary’, scroll to the ‘Supporting Documents’ section and click ‘Edit’ to open the ‘Documents Upload’ section of the application. Once in the ‘Documents Upload’ section, click the down arrow to the right of the document you wish to delete and click ‘Delete’, click ‘Yes’ to confirm deletion. You may then click on ‘Add Document’ to upload an alternative document, if required.  

If you have already completed and submitted your application and have logged out of the system, then you will need to log in again. Once in the ‘My Applications’ screen click on ‘Edit Application’, which will take you to the ‘Application Summary’ screen. Scroll down to the Supporting Documents section and click on ‘Edit’ to open the Documents Upload section of the application. Click the down arrow to the right of the document you wish to delete and click ‘Delete’, click ‘Yes’ confirm deletion. You may then click on ‘Add Document’ to upload an alternative document, if required.  

Yes, you may appeal the decision however if the school was oversubscribed with punctual applications, then your appeal may be unsuccessful as most schools give priority to punctual applications. If the Board of Governors of the school you are appealing gives priority to punctual applications, it will be stated clearly on their Admissions Criteria. 

In preparing your appeal documentation you should:

• Read the school’s admissions criteria. The admissions criteria can be found on the Search Admissions Criteria page and on EA Connect on the ‘More Information’ screen after you have viewed the outcome of the application.
• Consider the criteria and explain why you think the school did not apply them correctly in your child’s case.

It is important that as much of your case as possible is presented to the Clerk prior to the Tribunal hearing, therefore you should attach all the relevant information to your appeal form.

Your Admissions Application and all supporting documents uploaded with the application will be available for the Clerk and the Tribunal through EA Connect. You do not need to upload these again on the Appeal Form.

Information provided by the school’s Board of Governors will be made available to you through EA Connect if you have submitted your appeal online. You will receive an email notification when the school response is available for you to view. 

If, having received the information provided by the school’s Board of Governors, you wish to provide further details or information then this should be provided to the Clerk at least five working days prior to the hearing. This will enable the Board of Governors and the Appeal Tribunal Members to have access to all information in advance of the hearing.

Hearings will take place remotely via a live audio/video link (Microsoft MS Teams or Conference call).  You will be contacted prior to the hearing by a member of EA Staff with a link for the hearing and to give advice/guidance on using MS Teams.

You should indicate on the appeal form if you require any special arrangements.

You will normally be given 5 working days’ notice of the date and time of the hearing.

The length of the hearing will depend on the complexity of the case but normally should last no more than 30 minutes.

Please note that if another hearing has run over it may cause a delay to the start of your hearing. You will be informed if this is the case and invited to join the hearing as soon as it begins. This will not affect the length of time allocated to your hearing.

A tribunal consists of members, appointed by the Education Authority but independent of it.

The members of the appeal tribunal, the Clerk appointed by the Education Authority, a representative of the school (if in attendance), yourself and/or if you wish, your representative. The child in question cannot attend the appeal. An EA Technical Observer may also be present to ensure that the MS Teams links are working properly and help with any technical issues which may arise during the hearing.

The proceedings will be as informal as possible. The Chair and members of the Tribunal will try to put you at ease.

Before the hearing you may find it helpful to:

1. Have read through the case made by the school and the application of the school’s published admissions criteria to your child;
2. Have written down the main points of your case so that you can refer to them during the appeal, and
3. Have prepared any questions you wish to raise about the school’s case, particularly if you wish to obtain further details or to challenge aspects of their case.

During the hearing you can:

1. Ask further questions about the school’s case based on their presentation to the Tribunal;
2. Bring to the attention of the Tribunal, matters which you believe are relevant to your case. However, the appeal tribunal can only consider the evidence that was available to the Board of Governors at the time it was making its decision regarding the admission of your child; and
3. Explain how you feel that the criteria have not been applied, or not correctly applied by the school in your child’s case.

Yes, if you wish you can ask a friend, family member, elected representative or solicitor. You can add your representative’s details to the Appeal Form. Please ensure they have agreed to represent you before adding their details to the form. Representatives added to the Appeal Form will receive email notification updates from EA Connect. If you wish your representative(s) to view the Appeal Documents provided by you and the school’s response, use the “Get Share Link” feature on EA Connect. 

A legal representative is not necessary to present an appeal. It is a matter for you to decide if you want to engage a legal representative which will be at a cost to you, even if your appeal is successful.

No. The Appeal Tribunal can only consider the evidence that was available to the Board of Governors at the time it was making its decision regarding the admission of your child.

The chair will introduce the appeal tribunal members and outline the procedures. All verbal communication is done through the chair.

The appeal tribunal makes its decision in private after hearing the case and this, together with the grounds for the decision, is then issued in writing as soon as possible. If the decision of the appeal tribunal is that your child should be admitted to the school, then that decision is binding upon the school.

No. There is no right of appeal to either the Education Authority or the Department of Education on the decision of an Independent Admissions Appeal Tribunal.

If either party is dissatisfied with the decision of an appeal tribunal they may wish to seek independent legal advice particularly with regard to whether or not it would be appropriate to apply for leave from the High Court for the decision to be judicially reviewed. However, there must be proper grounds for making such an application and there are specified time limits within which to do so.

You are responsible for all costs involved in bringing the appeal to the tribunal.

If your child has not secured a place, then you should continue to seek a placement in a school at which places are available. Information on schools with places available can be found on the EA website. Admission to a particular school, or otherwise, does not affect the parents/guardians right of appeal or the decisions of a tribunal.

Yes, an appeal is the only statutory means to alter a school’s decision to refuse a child admission. You should be aware that such a statement is not a guarantee that your appeal will be successful. An appeal can only be upheld if a Tribunal finds that the admissions criteria were not applied or not correctly applied and that if the admissions criteria had been correctly applied the child would have been admitted to the school.

You can withdraw your appeal on EA Connect. Once withdrawn the hearing will not go ahead and your case will not be considered. If you are withdrawing your appeal within 24 hours of the scheduled hearing, please also email admissionappeals@eani.org.uk

The Education Authority may have already been made aware of this, but you should email the Clerk to the Tribunal at the relevant email address:

If you have any further queries about the appeal tribunal and the preparation of your case, please do not hesitate to contact the Clerk to the Tribunal by emailing the relevant email address as stated above or telephone the Admissions Helpdesk on 028 9047 0177.

Contact details as stated above and address to the Clerk to the Tribunal c/o School Admissions, Education Authority.

Admission Number

The Department of Education determines an admissions number for each school, in consultation with the Board of Governors and having also considered any representations made by the Council for Catholic Maintained Schools (CCMS) and the Education Authority in relation to all schools. The Board of Governors is not permitted to admit a greater number of pupils at the normal stage of entry to the school, unless it obtains the approval of the Department of Education.

Enrolment Number

The Department of Education determines an enrolment number, based on the physical capacity for each school, in consultation with the Board of Governors. The Board of Governors shall not:

1. admit to the school a number of pupils which exceeds the school’s admissions number for the year; or
2. cause or permit the number of registered pupils at the school at any time to exceed the school’s enrolment number.

Admissions Criteria

The Board of Governors of each grant-aided school is required to draw up admissions criteria.  If there are more applications than places available it is the admission criteria that are applied to decide which children are to be admitted to the school.  The Education Authority publishes criteria on behalf of all schools.  The Education Authority has no role in the decisions taken by a school in the application of its published admissions criteria.