The Education (Northern Ireland) Order 2006

Provision of information

24.—(1) The Department may make regulations requiring each board to make available, either generally or to prescribed persons, such information relevant for the purposes of this Part as may be prescribed.

(2) The Department may make regulations requiring the Board of Governors or the principal of each grant-aided school to make available either generally or to prescribed persons—

(a) such information relating to—

(i) the curriculum of the school;

(ii) the educational provision made by the school for pupils at the school and the courses of study which are provided by or on behalf of the school; and

(iii) the educational achievements of pupils at the school (including the results of any assessments of those pupils for the purpose of ascertaining those achievements); and

(iv) any other matter relevant for the purposes of this Part,

as may be prescribed;

(b) such copies of—

(i) any written statement made by the Board of Governors under Article 12(1)(b); and

(ii) any report prepared by the Board of Governors under Article 125 of the 1989 Order

as may be prescribed.

(3) Regulations under paragraph (1) or (2) may—

(a) provide for information and documents to be made available in pursuance of the regulations in such form and manner and at such times as may be prescribed;

(b) authorise boards, Boards of Governors and principals to make a charge (not exceeding the cost of supply) for any documents supplied by them in pursuance of the regulations.

(4) Before making any regulations under paragraph (1) or (2) the Department shall consult—

(a) the boards;

(b) the Council for Catholic Maintained Schools;

(c) the Boards of Governors and principals of a number of grant-aided schools selected by the Department as being a representative sample of all such schools affected by the regulations; and

(d) any other person with whom consultation appears to it to be desirable.

(5) Regulations under this Article shall not require information as to the results of an individual pupil’s assessment to be made available to any persons or bodies other than—

(a) the pupil concerned and his parents;

(b) the Board of Governors of any school attended by the pupil concerned;

(c) the Board of Governors of any other school if—

(i) the pupil has been admitted to that school; or

(ii) the parent of the pupil requests that the information be made available to that Board; or

(d) a body or person prescribed by the regulations,

and shall not require such information to be made available to any body or person mentioned in sub-paragraphs (b) to (d) except—

(i) in the case of information to which paragraph (6) applies, where the Department so directs;

(ii) in any other case, where necessary for the purposes of the performance by that body or person of any functions under the Education Orders.

(6) This paragraph applies to information as to the results of—

(a) any assessment of a pupil at a special school; or

(b) any assessment of a pupil in any area of learning or skill in a school year if at any time during that school year any provision has been made under Article 14, 15, 16 or 17 in relation to that pupil excluding or modifying the application of any of Articles 5 to 9 in relation to that area of learning or skill.

(7) References in this Article to an assessment of a pupil are references to an assessment whether made under this Part or otherwise.