The Education (Northern Ireland) Order 1996

Direction to admit child to specified schoolN.I.

42.—(1) A board may give a direction under this Article if, in the case of any child F1..., one or both of the following conditions is satisfied in relation to each school which is a reasonable distance from his home and provides suitable education, that is—

(a)he has been refused admission to the school; or

(b)he has been expelled from the school.

(2) A direction given under this Article by [F2the Authority] shall specify a grant-aided school—

(a)which is a reasonable distance from the child's home, and

(b)from which the child has not been expelled.

(3) Where a grant-aided school is specified in a direction under this Article, the Board of Governors shall admit the child to the school.

(4) Paragraph (3) does not affect any power to suspend or expel from a school a pupil who is already a registered pupil there.

(5) Before giving a direction under this Article, [F2the Authority] shall consult—

(a)the parent of the child,

(b)the Board of Governors of the school it proposes to specify in the direction,

F3(c). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(d)if that school is a Catholic maintained school, the Council for Catholic Maintained Schools.

(6) Where [F2the Authority] gives a direction under this Article specifying a school, it shall give notice in writing of that fact to the Board of Governors of the school.

(7) In this Article—

  • “school” does not include a special school;

  • “suitable education”, in relation to a child, means efficient full-time education suitable to his age, ability and aptitude and to any special educational needs he may have.