The Education Reform(Northern Ireland) Order 1989

Initiation of procedure for acquisition of grant-maintained integrated status by existing school

69.—(1) Subject to paragraph (5), in the case of any controlled or voluntary school which is eligible for grant-maintained integrated status, a ballot of parents on the question of whether grant-maintained integrated status should be sought for the school shall be held in accordance with Article 70 if either—

(a) the Board of Governors decides by a resolution passed at a meeting of that Board (“the first resolution”) to hold such a ballot and confirms that decision by a resolution (“the second resolution”) passed at a subsequent meeting of the Board of Governors held not less than fourteen nor more than twenty-eight days after that at which the first resolution was passed; or

(b) the Board of Governors receives a written request to hold such a ballot which meets the requirements of paragraph (2).

(2) Those requirements are that the request must be signed, or otherwise endorsed in such manner as the Department may approve, by a number of parents of registered pupils at the school equal to at least twenty per cent. of the number of registered pupils at the school on the date on which the request is received.

(3) Immediately following the passing of the first resolution the Board of Governors shall give notice in writing to—

(a) the relevant board;

(b) if the school is a voluntary school, the trustees of the school;

(c) if the school is a Catholic maintained school, the Council for Catholic Maintained Schools,

of its decision to hold a ballot.

(4) Subject to paragraph (5), on the passing of the second resolution required for the purposes of paragraph (1)(a) or (as the case may be) on receipt of any such request as is mentioned in paragraph (1)(b) it shall be the duty of the Board of Governors—

(a) to secure that a ballot is held in accordance with Article 70 not earlier than twenty-eight days and not later than two months or such longer period as the Department may approve after the date on which the second resolution was passed or the request was received; and

(b) to give notice in writing that such a ballot is to be held to the bodies to which notice is required to be given under paragraph (3).

(5) Paragraphs (1) and (4) shall not apply if in the case of the school in question a ballot has been held in accordance with Article 70 earlier in the same school year as that in which the second resolution is passed or (as the case may be) the request is received, unless the Department gives consent in writing for a new ballot to be held.

(6) A request such as is mentioned in paragraph (1)(b) shall be taken as having been received by a Board of Governors if given or sent to the chairman or secretary of the Board.

(7) Subject to paragraph (8), it shall be the duty of the Board of Governors of any controlled or voluntary school which is eligible for grant-maintained integrated status, at the request of any parent of a registered pupil at the school, to make available to the parent for inspection (at all reasonable times and free of charge) at the school, and to supply the parent with a copy of, a list containing the name and address of every person who is known to the Board of Governors to be such a parent if the request is made—

(a) in connection with any proposal that a ballot should be held in accordance with Article 70; or

(b) where the Board of Governors is under a duty by virtue of this Article or Article 70(8) to secure that such a ballot is held, in connection with the holding of the ballot.

(8) A Board of Governors shall not disclose to a parent under paragraph (7) the name and address of any person unless that person has consented in writing to the disclosure of that information; and accordingly the name and address of any person who has not so consented shall be excluded from the list mentioned in that paragraph.

(9) A Board of Governors which in pursuance of paragraph (7) supplies copies of the list there mentioned may charge such fee as it thinks fit (not exceeding the cost of supply) in respect of each copy so supplied.

(10) For the purposes of this Article, it shall be for the Board of Governors to determine any question whether a person is a parent of a registered pupil at the school.