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Clintyclay PS will remain open but loses bid to join integrated sector

Clintyclay Primary School, near Dungannon. Picture by Cliff Donaldson
Clintyclay Primary School, near Dungannon. Picture by Cliff Donaldson Clintyclay Primary School, near Dungannon. Picture by Cliff Donaldson

A BID by a Catholic school to become integrated has been rejected for a second time.

The Department of Education had been re-considering two separate proposals affecting Clintyclay PS near Dungannon.

The school, which has seen its pupil numbers increase, wanted to be the first in the Catholic sector to become integrated. It was also threatened with closure.

A proposal to shut the small school was approved in 2015, but this was later quashed after a legal challenge. An alternative proposal advanced by the board of governors to change its management to grant-maintained integrated status was rejected.

Last December, the department was told to take new decisions.

Department permanent secretary Derek Baker yesterday ruled that the school would remain open.

It now has close to 40 pupils and its numbers are capped at 47. It also welcomed its biggest P1 intake in years with eight new pupils starting last September, compared to just two last year. In addition, it admitted five pupils into its reception class.

Mr Baker turned down the proposal to transform, however.

Advice provided by department officials showed that the school's enrolment year on year was almost exclusively comprised of pupils from families identifying as Catholic.

There were no Protestant children enrolled in each of the last four school years.

"Clintyclay PS does not meet the criteria for transformation in full, particularly in relation to viability," officials said.