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8.2.5 Special schools
There are special schools for children with disabilities, and children with disabilities are also
accommodated within mainstream schools.
8.2.6 Religious ethos
All schools in Northern Ireland must, by law, have a Christian ethos but they also have a
duty to take into account the cultural and religious background of your child. Pupils can opt
out of school-based religious activities.
Although many schools have a dominant religious ethos, all schools are open to all pupils
and are not allowed to discriminate against pupils who have a different religion or no
religion.
8.2.7 Types of state funded schools
‘Controlled’ schools (also known as ‘state’ or ‘Protestant’ schools).They were originally
church schools whose control was transferred to the state. A link is maintained with the
three largest Protestant churches (Presbyterian, Church of Ireland, and Methodist).
‘Maintained’ schools (also known as ‘Catholic’ schools) are linked to the Catholic Church
and are under the management of the Council for Catholic Maintained Schools.
‘Integrated’ schools have a Christian ethos but are not linked to any particular church.
Integrated in the context of Northern Ireland usually means equal amounts of Protestant
and Catholic children go to the school, as well as a smaller amount of children who are
neither Catholic nor Protestant.
‘Irish-medium’ schools (where most teaching is through the medium of the Irish
language) are not linked to any church.
8.3 Can my child receive additional support in the English language?
If your child is not fluent in English, he or she should be given extra support from the school
or the Education Authority. Ask your school to provide details of this.
If adequate support is not made available, you should talk to the school or Education
Authority.
8.4 Can my child get support for other special educational needs?
Your child may be able to receive additional support for special educational needs, for
example due to a disability or learning difficulty or because he or she has experienced
trauma. If you think your child needs this help, you should talk to the school or the
Education Authority.
You can also get independent advice from a support organisation such as the Special
Educational Needs Advice Centre or Children’s Law Centre – see Useful contacts at the end
of this chapter.
8.5 What should I do if my child is bullied at school?
Bullying and other forms of intimidation are not allowed in schools. If bullying occurs, it
should be reported to your child’s school teacher.
If you do not feel the bullying has been adequately dealt with, you should contact the school
principal and then the Education Authority or get independent advice from a support
organisation, such as the Children’s Law Centre – see Useful contacts at the end of this
chapter.
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