What is a controlled school? A new era of support for Northern Ireland’s largest education sector
Mark Baker, Chief Executive of the Controlled Schools’ Support Council (CSSC), outlines the key recommendations for Northern Ireland’s largest education sector.
When you hear the term ‘controlled school’, what comes to mind? Many people misunderstand the sector, despite it being Northern Ireland’s largest, representing 49 per cent of all schools and serving almost 150,000 children across diverse communities.
Controlled schools include nursery, special, primary, secondary, grammar, integrated, and Irish-medium schools and are the only sector managed by the Education Authority (EA), creating a unique challenge.
Every day, the EA faces the complex task of delivering universal services to all schools whilst simultaneously fulfilling its specific managing authority role for controlled schools, which leads to competing priorities in its work.
The Independent Review of Education highlighted the ‘suboptimal arrangements’ for controlled schools. To create more effective managing arrangements, a Ministerial Taskforce has recommended a two-phase approach:
- Short to medium term: Create a Controlled Schools Unit (CSU) within EA by September 2025 – coordinating key services for more proactive, relational support and collaborating closely with CSSC.
- Long term: Establish a dedicated managing authority for controlled schools – requiring legislation.
There is also a need to clarify how the sector presents itself and is perceived by the wider public. The non-denominational Christian ethos, which underpins the sector, is one that is inclusive. Controlled schools are schools for the whole community, serving pupils from all backgrounds.
Since its inception, CSSC has consistently advocated on behalf of controlled schools, representing their interests, raising concerns, and celebrating excellence in the controlled sector. We are optimistic that action is now being taken to address longstanding challenges and to create an equitable system where every child has access to high-quality education. The establishment of the CSU this September will be a significant and welcome step forward.
