The Education Reform(Northern Ireland) Order 1989

Financing of voluntary grammar schools

Grants to voluntary grammar schools

60.—(1) The Department may make grants to the Board of Governors of a voluntary grammar school towards expenditure incurred or to be incurred in carrying on the school, except—

(a) expenditure incurred or to be incurred for the provision or alteration of the premises of the school; and

(b) expenditure incurred or to be incurred for the provision of equipment for the school which is approved expenditure for the purposes of Article 116(1)(c) of the principal Order.

(2) Grants under this Article shall be made on such conditions (including conditions as to repayment) as the Department may determine.

(3) The amount of a grant to be paid under this Article to the Board of Governors of each individual voluntary grammar school in any financial year shall—

(a) in so far as it derives from the aggregated voluntary grammar schools budget of the Department for that year, be determined by the Department (and from time to time revised) by the application of a formula determined by the Department for the purpose of dividing that budget among all voluntary grammar schools;

(b) in so far as it derives from excluded heads or items of expenditure of the Department in that year, be such as the Department may determine.

(4) In paragraph (3) the reference to the aggregated voluntary grammar schools budget of the Department for a financial year is a reference to the amount remaining after deducting from the amount appropriated by the Department for meeting expenditure in that year in respect of grants under this Article to all voluntary grammar schools (“the general voluntary grammar schools budget of the Department”) the amount of any expenditure of the Department in that year on such heads or items of expenditure as the Department may specify for the purposes of this Article (“excluded heads or items of expenditure”).

(5) Before determining the formula to be applied under paragraph (3)(a) in relation to a financial year, the Department shall consult the Board of Governors of every voluntary grammar school and any other person or body appearing to the Department to be concerned.

(6) In determining the formula to be applied under paragraph (3)(a) in relation to a financial year the Department shall have regard to the allocation formulae for the time being included in schemes in accordance with Article 49.

(7) In this Article “formula” includes methods, principles and rules of any description, however expressed.

(8) The Department may by order substitute for references in this Article and Article 61 to a financial year references to such other period as may be specified in the order.

Financial statements in respect of voluntary grammar schools

61.—(1) Before the beginning of each financial year the Department shall prepare a statement of the financial provision it plans to make in that year for voluntary grammar schools.

(2) A statement under paragraph (1) in relation to a financial year shall contain the following particulars—

(a) the amount of the general voluntary grammar schools budget of the Department for that year;

(b) the amount of the aggregated voluntary grammar schools budget of the Department for that year;

(c) such particulars as the Department may determine of amounts deducted in respect of excluded heads or items of expenditure in arriving at the amount specified in the statement by virtue of sub-paragraph (b);

(d) such particulars of the formula to be applied in accordance with Article 60(3)(a) as the Department may determine;

(e) in the case of each individual voluntary grammar school, the planned expenditure per pupil arising from the division of the amount of grant payable to the school from the aggregated voluntary grammar schools budget of the Department in that year by the number of registered pupils at the school used in applying the formula to determine that amount;

(f) such further information as the Department may determine with respect to the financial provision the Department plans to make in that year for voluntary grammar schools.

(3) After the end of each financial year the Department shall prepare a statement of—

(a) the total amount of all grants actually made under Article 60 in that year;

(b) the amount of the grants actually made under Article 60 in that year to each voluntary grammar school.

(4) A statement prepared under this Article shall be prepared in such form, and published in such manner and at such times, as the Department may determine.

(5) The Department shall furnish the Board of Governors of each voluntary grammar school with a copy of each statement prepared by it under this Article.

(6) The Board of Governors of each such school shall secure that a copy of any such statement furnished to it under this Article is available for inspection (at all reasonable times and free of charge) at the school.

(7) In this Article expressions to which a meaning is given by Article 60 have the same meanings as in that Article.