Applications are made through the EA online portal.  Further details can be obtained from the following link:

https://www.eani.org.uk/parents/admissions

Respective Functions

The Board of Governors draws up the admissions criteria and delegates to a Selection Committee consisting of the Principal and senior staff subject to the final approval of the Board of Governors. The admissions criteria will be reviewed annually by the Selection Committee. Any reference herein to the term the Board of Governors includes any Sub-Committee appointed by the Board of Governors for the purposes of applying the admissions criteria.

In drawing up this admission criteria, the Board of Governors of Cliftonville Integrated Primary School have reviewed the criteria and are content that the criteria as agreed are sufficient to ensure reasonable numbers of both Protestant and Roman Catholic children or young persons are admitted as well as those of different cultures and religions and those of none under ‘Others.’ We are content that we include pupils who are experiencing socio-economic deprivation and those who are not; and children of different abilities. We are content that we encourage and facilitate the development of integrated education and that we intentionally support, protect and advance an ethos of diversity, respect and understanding between those of different cultures and religious beliefs and those of none, between those of different socio-economic backgrounds and between those of different abilities. Furthermore, we have taken due regard to the provisions of the Integrated Education Act (Northern Ireland) 2022 (the “Act”), and specifically the provisions included at Section 1 of the Act which stipulate the meaning of Integrated Education, and we have engaged with and given proper consideration to guidance provided by the Department of Education prior to the date of this meeting in respect of admissions criteria.

Admissions Criteria For 2023-2024

During the admissions procedure, when applying the criteria, punctual applications will be considered before late applications are considered. The application procedure opens on 10 January 2023 at 12noon (GMT) and an application submitted by the closing date of 27 January 2023 at 12noon (GMT) will be treated as a punctual application. An application received after 12noon (GMT) on 27 January 2023 and up to 4 pm on 31 January 2023 will be treated as a late application, this is also the last date and time for processing a change of preference in exceptional circumstances. After 4 pm on 31 January 2023 no applications will be processed until after the close of procedure on 27 April 2023.

Y1 Intake

As an integrated nursery and primary school, we are committed to maintaining our religious balance. Our key purpose is to educate together children of different religious traditions. In applying the admissions criteria, the Board of Governors will strive to ensure a balance of 40% Catholic, 40% Protestant and 20% for others who may be from a different religious/ethnic grouping, a ’mixed’ tradition background and children of no religious affiliation. In the event of any category not meeting its quota then the balance will be divided equally between the other categories.

To establish this balance and fulfil our admissions criteria, it is the responsibility of all parents/guardians to provide information regarding their child’s perceived community background. The Admissions Committee must know about the religious background of the applicants. It is therefore essential that all parents, who seek a place for their child at Cliftonville Integrated, complete our Pupil Information Form (available from the school office) as well as answering the supplementary religious affiliation question within the online application. The Pupil Information Form and any verifying information must be received by our school office on or before 4 pm on Tuesday 31 January 2023. If you do not supply the required information on or before the date above, then your child’s application will be considered with those from the majority category of that year’s applicants.

When considering which children should be selected for admission, the Board of Governors will only consider information which is detailed on or attached to the application form and on the completed Pupil Information Form.

The Admissions Committee will list all applicants in order of priority by selecting those who fall into the following categories in the order set out below.

1. Children who will have attained compulsory school age at the time of their proposed admission, including those children whose parents deferred their admission to primary school in September 2022 as defined by the new School Age (NI) Act (both groups to be treated equally).
2. Children resident in Northern Ireland at the time of their proposed admission to the school before those who are not so resident. 

Sub-Criteria
If there are more children satisfying the last criterion above, which can be applied, then selection for the remaining places will be on the application of the following sub-criteria in the order set down below:

a) Children with a sister/brother, half-sister/brother, stepsister/brother, foster sister/brother currently enrolled at Cliftonville IPS (Y1-Y7). (Indicate name and year group)

b) Children who are currently enrolled in Cliftonville Integrated Nursery unit or had been unsuccessful in gaining a place, for the named child, in the previous open enrolment entry (2022/23) for Cliftonville Integrated Nursery unit and had put the Nursery unit down as their first preference.

c) Children that are a Looked After Child (LAC) as defined by the Children NI Order 1995. (Evidence will be sought)

d) Children for whom ‘Cliftonville Integrated Primary School is their closest integrated primary school.

e) Children who are the only or eldest* in their family eligible for admission. Twins will both be treated as the eldest child. This is subject to satisfying verification as set out below: -

The verifying letter must state that the child is the eldest child and that the family are known to the verifier. It must be provided directly to the school, written on headed notepaper and signed by one of the following who is not a member of the applicant’s family:
• a medical practitioner
• a solicitor
• a clergyman or equivalent
• a nursery/pre-school/private day-care provider.
*In cases where the child is more than 7 years younger than their next nearest sibling, the child will be treated as eldest and also in cases where the eldest sibling attends or attended a special school/unit.

f) Children whose parent(s)/guardian(s) are presently permanent or long-term employees of the school.

g) Children on the basis of the initial letter of their surname in the order set out below. The surname used will be registered on the birth certificate or as subsequently changed and documented.

X L P O’ R Y W A C V H S E Q O Z Mc J I K U F D T G M B N Mac

The order was determined by a randomised selection of letters carried out by the governors of the school at a meeting on 11/11/2022.
In the event of surnames beginning with the same letter, the subsequent letters of the surname will be used in alphabetical order. In the event of two identical surnames, the alphabetical order of the forename, as

Duty to Verify

The Board of Governors reserves the right to require such supplementary evidence as it may determine to support or verify information on any applicant’s application form.

If the requested evidence is not provided to the Board of Governors by the deadline given, this will result in the offer of a place being withdrawn. Similarly, if information is supplied which appears to be false or misleading in any material way, the offer of a place will be withdrawn

Waiting List

Should a vacancy arise after 27th April 2023, all applications for admission to P1, that were initially refused, new applications, late applications and applications where new information has been provided will be treated equally and the published criteria applied. This waiting list will be in place until 30th June 2023.

The school will contact you in writing if your child gains a place by this method.

Your child’s name will be automatically added to the list. Please contact the school in writing (FAO Principal, at the address given) if you wish your child’s name to be removed from the list.

During the 2023/2024 school year the above criteria will be applied to fill a vacancy arising within the school’s admissions number

IMPORTANT NOTES

It is the parent’s responsibility to ensure that all information, which is relevant to the admission criteria, is included within the application form, including answering the supplementary religious affiliation question when selecting an integrated school. In addition, please ensure that you have indicated your child’s religious denomination on our separate Pupil Information Form, which is available from the school office. Completed Pupil Information forms as well as any verifying information must be provided to the school as soon as possible but no later than 4pm on Tuesday 31 January 2023. Where parents fail to state their child’s religious tradition, their application will be allocated to the category with most applicants in that particular year.

In selecting children for admission, the Board of Governors will only take account of information included on the application or on the completed Pupil Information Form. Parents should therefore ensure that all information pertaining to their child and relevant to the school’s admissions criteria is stated on the application or provided to the school e.g. eldest child/has brothers or sisters attending the school.

Please Note: If you are experiencing difficulty completing the online application process then contact the EA Admissions Helpline for advice. The school will also accept paper application forms and these are available from the school office upon request. Regardless of the application method, all applications must be completed by 12 noon (GMT) on 27th January 2023. If you are completing a paper application, then please ensure that it has been received by the school office on or before the date above.

All application forms received after this will be treated as late applications.

Applications and Admissions to Primary 1.

P2 – P7 Admissions Criteria available from school.

NURSERY ADMISSIONS CRITERIA FOR 2023-2024

Respective Functions of the Board of Governors and the Principal in relation to admissions. 

The Board of Governors draws up the admissions criteria and delegates to a Selection Committee consisting of the Principal and senior staff subject to the final approval of the Board of Governors. The admissions criteria will be reviewed annually by the Selection Committee. Any reference herein to the term the Board of Governors includes any Sub-Committee appointed by the Board of Governors for the purposes of applying the admissions criteria.

In drawing up this admission criteria, the Board of Governors of Cliftonville Integrated Primary School have reviewed the criteria and are content that the criteria as agreed are sufficient to ensure reasonable numbers of both Protestant and Roman Catholic children or young persons are admitted as well as those of different cultures and religions and those of none under ‘Others.’ We are content that we include pupils who are experiencing socio-economic deprivation and those who are not; and children of different abilities. We are content that we encourage and facilitate the development of integrated education and that we intentionally support, protect and advance an ethos of diversity, respect and understanding between those of different cultures and religious beliefs and those of none, between those of different socio-economic backgrounds and between those of different abilities. Furthermore, we have taken due regard to the provisions of the Integrated Education Act (Northern Ireland) 2022 (the “Act”), and specifically the provisions included at Section 1 of the Act which stipulate the meaning of Integrated Education, and we have engaged with and given proper consideration to guidance provided by the Department of Education prior to the date of this meeting in respect of admissions criteria.

Admissions Criteria For 2023-2024

A timetable of pre-school admissions procedures setting out the dates, by which an application is to be submitted, is available at www.eani.org.uk/admissions under ‘Pre-School Admissions’. During the admissions procedure, when applying the criteria, punctual applications will be considered before late applications are considered.

The application procedure opens on 10 January 2023 at 12noon (GMT) and an application submitted by the closing date of 27 January 2023 at 12noon (GMT) will be treated as a punctual application. An application received after 12noon (GMT) on 27 January 2023 will be treated as a late application.

As the pre-school admissions procedure is in two stages, the timetable also specifies the relevant dates at Stage 2 which will determine if an application is to be considered as punctual or late.

Nursery Intake

As an integrated nursery and primary school, we are committed to maintaining our religious balance. Our key purpose is to educate together children of different religious traditions. In applying the admissions criteria, the Board of Governors will strive to ensure a balance of 40% Catholic, 40% Protestant and 20% for others who may be from a different religious/ethnic grouping, a ’mixed’ tradition background and children of no religious affiliation. In the event of any category not meeting its quota then the balance will be divided equally between the other categories.

To establish this balance and fulfil our admissions criteria, it is the responsibility of all parents/guardians to provide information regarding their child’s perceived community background. The Admissions Committee must know about the religious background of the applicants. It is therefore essential that all parents, who seek a place for their child at Cliftonville Integrated, complete our Pupil Information Form (available from the school office) as well as answering the supplementary religious affiliation question within the online application. The Pupil Information Form and any verifying information must be received by our school office on or before 4pm on Tuesday 31st January 2023. If you do not supply the required information on or before the date above, then your child’s application will be considered with those from the majority category of that year’s applicants.

When considering which children should be selected for admission, the Board of Governors will only consider information which is detailed on or attached to the application form or on the completed Pupil Information Form.

Admissions criteria to be used in the event of the school being oversubscribed with applications for available places.

The Admissions Committee will list all applicants in order of priority by selecting those who fall into the following categories in the order set out below.

1. Children from socially disadvantaged circumstances in their final pre-school year who were born:
   • on or between 2 July 2019 and 1 July 2020 (inclusive) and whose parents have not exercised their right to defer their child’s entry to primary school; or,
   • on or between 1 April 2019 and 1 July 2019 (inclusive) or were due to be born on or between those dates but were born earlier; and,
   • have not attended or are not currently attending a funded pre-school setting under the Pre-School Education
   Programme as a target aged child; and,
   • that child’s parent has completed a request to defer their child starting P1 until September 2024.

Note: Children from ‘socially disadvantaged circumstances’ means a child whose parent has an entitlement to (i) Income Support, or (ii) Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, or (iii) Income related Employment and Support Allowance, or (iv) Universal Credit. When parents apply for places for their child on this basis they must provide Benefit Verification to confirm that they have an entitlement. The application procedure for Pre-School will outline how Benefit Verification can be submitted.

2. Children not from socially disadvantaged circumstances (as defined above) who are in their final pre-school year (as defined by Criterion 1).

Sub-Criteria

If there are more children satisfying the last criterion above, which can be applied, then selection for the remaining places
will be on the application of the following sub-criteria in the order set down below:
a. Children who currently attend the Nursery and are eligible to attend for a further year.

b. Children with a sister/brother, half-sister/brother, stepsister/brother, foster sister/brother currently enrolled at
Cliftonville IPS (Y1-Y7) or a primary aged sibling who had been enrolled at Cliftonville Nursery or Primary School but who now attends special school.

c. Children with a sibling who will be enrolled at Cliftonville IPS in September 2023 (Y1-Y7).

d. Children who are the only or eldest* in their family eligible for admission. Twins will both be treated as the eldest child*.

This is subject to satisfying verification as set out below: -
The verifying letter must state that the child is the eldest child and that the family are known to the verifier. It must be
provided directly to the school, written on headed notepaper and signed by one of the following who is not a member of
the applicant’s family:
• a medical practitioner
• a solicitor
• a clergyman or equivalent
• a nursery/pre-school/private day-care provider.
*In cases where the child is more than 7 years younger than their next nearest sibling, the child will be treated as eldest and also in cases where the eldest sibling attends or attended a special school/unit.

e. Children whose parent(s)/guardian(s) are presently permanent or long-term employees of the school.

f. Whose permanent residence is the shortest distance from the school. The distance will be determined by a straight line measurement generated electronically, using the computer program provided by the Ordnance Survey, Northern Ireland.

g. Children on the basis of the initial letter of their surname in the order set out below. The surname used will be registered on the birth certificate or as subsequently changed and documented.

X L P O’ R Y W A C V H S E Q O Z Mc J I K U F D T G M B N Mac

The order was determined by a randomised selection of letters carried out by the governors of the school at a meeting on 11/11/2022.

In the event of surnames beginning with the same letter, the subsequent letters of the surname will be used in
alphabetical order. In the event of two identical surnames, the alphabetical order of the forename, as registered on the birth certificate, will be used. In the event of first forenames beginning with the same letter the subsequent letters of the forename will be used. In the event of a double-barrelled surname the first surname will be used for purposes of selection.

Should places still be available these will be offered to children in the following order:

3. Children who were born:
• on or between 1 April 2019 - 1 July 2019 (inclusive), or were due to be born on or between those dates but were born earlier; and,
• and have attended or are currently attending a funded pre-school setting under the Pre-School Education Programme
as a target aged (not penultimate aged) child; and,
• that child’s parent has completed a request to defer their child starting P1, or
• on or between 2 July 2020 and 1 July 2021 (inclusive); or,
• on or between 1 April 2020 and 1 July 2020 (inclusive) or were due to be born on or between those dates but were born earlier; and that child’s parent has completed a request to defer their child starting P1 until September 2025.

In the event of applications exceeding available places in any of the categories 3 priority will be given to the oldest children with, if necessary, the additional application of sub-criteria (b-g).

Note: Applications falling under Criterion 3 are processed only during Stage 2 of the admissions process, after final preschool year (Statutory 1and 2) applications.

During the 2023/2024 year the above criteria will be applied to fill a vacancy arising within the stated enrolment number.

Duty to Verify

The Board of Governors reserves the right to require such supplementary evidence as it may determine to support or verify information on any applicant’s application form.

If the requested evidence is not provided to the Board of Governors by the deadline given, this will result in the offer of a place being withdrawn. Similarly, if information is supplied which appears to be false or misleading in any material way, the offer of a place will be withdrawn.

Waiting List Policy

Should a vacancy arise after 13th June 2023, all applications for admission to Nursery, that were initially refused, new applications, late applications and applications where new information has been provided will be treated equally and the published criteria applied. This waiting list will be in place until 30th June 2024.

The school will contact you in writing if your child gains a place by this method.

Your child’s name will be automatically added to the list. Please contact the school in writing (FAO Principal at the address given) if you wish your child’s name to be removed from the list.

IMPORTANT NOTES 

It is the parent’s responsibility to ensure that all information, which is relevant to the admission criteria, is included within the statutory application form, including answering the supplementary religious affiliation question when selecting an integrated school. In addition, please ensure that you have indicated your child’s religious denomination on our separate Pupil Information Form, which is available from the school office. Completed Pupil Information forms as well as any verifying information required, within the application, must be provided to the school as soon as possible but no later than 4pm on Tuesday 31st January 2023. Where parents fail to state their child’s religious tradition, their application will be allocated to the category with most applicants in that particular year. In selecting children for admission, the Board of Governors will only take account of information included within the application form or on the Pupil Information Form. Parents should therefore ensure that all information pertaining to their child and relevant to the school’s admissions criteria is stated within the application form e.g. eldest child/has brothers or sisters attending the school

Please Note: If you are experiencing difficulty completing the online application process then contact the EA Admissions Helpline for advice. The school will also accept paper application forms and these are available from the school office upon request. Regardless of the application method, all application forms must be completed by 12 noon (GMT) on 27th January 2023. If you are completing a paper application, then please ensure that it has been received by the school office on or before the date above. All forms received after this will be treated as late applications.