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Northern Ireland is a post-conflict society, yet it remains deeply divided. The school system is a complex network with sensitive and contested policy issues, and up to 94 per cent of pupils attending schools are segregated by religion. This means that the education system has a diversity of school sectors and types, each with its own management structure, ethos and values, which inevitably leads to duplication.

Government, education stakeholders and researchers have increasingly recognised that one of the biggest challenges facing the education system here, particularly in terms of school provision, is that it is not sustainable as duplication in provision has contributed to unfilled pupil places within the system. The situation has led government and statutory authorities to prioritise the establishment of a network of viable and sustainable schools through a process of strategic area planning.

‘The NI education system has a diversity of school sectors and types, each with its own management structure, ethos and values, which inevitably leads to duplication.’

As is the case elsewhere nationally and internationally, and particularly in more rural locations, school sustainability is a significant issue in Northern Ireland (NI) with the of schools deteriorating, threatening the continuance of smaller schools. are evident within both rural and urban post-primary school settings in NI. School enrolments are also projected to decrease overall in the next 10 years.

Our Future Schools work at Ulster University provides an opportunity to consider school provision on an area basis, and is a bridge between communities and schools on the one hand and education policy- and decision-makers on the other. This is reflected in the views of educational stakeholders in Northern Ireland sharing their thoughts on the Future Schools Toolkit for Post-Primary.

The Education Authority fully supports the Toolkit’s intention to support school leadership to engage at an early stage and critically examine the sustainability of their school while engaging with local communities on the type of school provision that will provide a sustainable, high-quality educational experience for the future. (Education Authority NI)

As we look to the future, it is important that schools proactively consider their long-term sustainability. We trust therefore that this Toolkit will help to initiate and guide these important conversations and prove beneficial to all schools. (Council for Catholic Maintained Schools NI)

The is a proactive framework developed to support the needs of schools and communities in relation to the NI Department of Education’s (DE) Sustainable Schools Policy and the wider area planning context, and to enable them to explore options and identify potential model(s) for post-primary school provision in their area. The Toolkit supports school principals and boards of governors to critically examine the sustainability of their school and engage with local communities on the type of school provision that will offer a sustainable, high-quality educational experience for pupils in their area. As one of the school principals stated:

I think it is the only way forward, I know that we need to have a clear evidence base of how we move forward to the schools of the future, the Toolkit is the only way.

The Toolkit aims to provide school communities with the guidance to consider the following questions:

1. How sustainable is our school in the short or medium term and what options do we have to improve our sustainability?
2. What school type will offer sustainable, high-quality, area-based school provision for the young people in this area?
3. Is there an alternative model of local school provision that is better suited for ensuring high-quality, sustainable school provision for the future?

It has been structured in three parts to align with these key questions and is designed to:

• provide instructions enabling school leadership to self-evaluate the sustainability of their school by assessing it against the criteria and indicators in the DE Sustainable Schools Policy and other relevant policy documents;
• provide guidance for using the Community Conversation methodology to engage with the local community in exploring options together – this can include parents and carers of children and young people from pre-school to post-primary and representatives of other relevant organisations such as local councillors and community representatives; and
• provide possible pathways and actions that may be considered in identifying a sustainable outcome for future school provision in an area.

Following our previous launch of the , the Ulster University Future Schools research team won the . The schools was launched on 18 March 2025. By fostering critical reflection, community engagement, democratic dialogue and collaboration, the Toolkit offers a vital step forward in ensuring young people in Northern Ireland have access to a resilient, sustainable and high-quality school experience within their local area.

The Future Schools Toolkit provides a practical and robust approach to engaging all partners in a process of deliberation about how we can best serve the educational needs of our children and young people. (NI Council for Integrated Education)

While focused on bridging community and policy in Northern Ireland, the Toolkit’s Community Conversation methodology is versatile and can support sensitive, inclusive engagement in other complex decision-making contexts. We would be keen to hear about how others engage with, and potentially adapt, the processes we have set out in the Toolkit. This includes learning about the impacts and implications from schools that use the Toolkit. In the longer term it will be important to investigate whether the Toolkit has had any influence on local/regional educational policy and the responsiveness of educational bodies to community-informed recommendations. Our work highlights the need for further research in relation to citizen participation in democratic conversations relating to policy and decision-making that affects their lives, particularly in relation to difficult and sensitive topics.

(Photograph reproduced with permission of the Integrated Education Fund, NI. Left to Right front: Maria Stewart from the Education Authority, Lorraine Finlay from the Department of Education, Dr Jessica Bates and Dr Claire Woods from Ulster University, Jill Caskey from the Integrated Education Fund, Jayne Millar from the Controlled Schools’ Support Council and Majella Corrigan from the Council for Catholic Maintained Schools. Left to Right back: Paul Caskey from the Integrated Education Fund and Professor Duncan Morrow from Ulster University.)