Killowen Primary School Integrated Status Bid Rejected By Education Minister

A proposal to transform Killowen Primary School in Coleraine into a controlled integrated school has been rejected by Education Minister Paul Givan. 

The decision on Development Proposal 745 was taken on 30 August 2026. The proposal would have seen Killowen Primary School move to Controlled Integrated Status, originally from September 2025 or as soon as possible afterwards.

The decision comes despite significant support for transformation among parents and evidence that the school is currently considered sustainable. 

However, the minister concluded there was insufficient evidence to demonstrate that the school would be likely to attract what legislation describes as "reasonable numbers" of both Protestant and Roman Catholic pupils.

Strong parental backing

The transformation process followed a ballot of parents conducted between February and March 2024.

Of 263 eligible voters, 218 took part, representing a turnout of 82.9%. A total of 165, or 75.7%, voted in favour of transformation, while 53 voted against.

Departmental officials also described Killowen's preparation for transformation as extensive. 

The school has been exploring integrated status since 2020, working with the Integrated Education Fund and the Northern Ireland Council for Integrated Education and involving governors, staff, parents and pupils.

Officials said the process demonstrated the school's commitment to becoming integrated, while both organisations recognised its preparation and work towards creating a more inclusive and diverse school environment.

Why was the proposal rejected? 

At the centre of the minister's decision was Article 92(6) of the Education Reform (Northern Ireland) Order 1989.

It means the Department cannot approve a transformation proposal unless it believes the school would be likely to provide integrated education. The Integrated Education Act 2022 defines this as including "reasonable numbers" of both Protestant and Roman Catholic children.

Killowen's figures showed Catholic pupils accounted for 13.27% of the school population in 2025-26. 

The minister said the school did not currently have reasonable numbers of Catholic children, although he accepted that the first part of the Department's test relating to the Year 1 intake had been met.

The Department's guidance generally expects transforming primary schools to demonstrate that they are likely to attract either at least 10% of their Year 1 intake from the minority religion, or 15% of the combined Protestant and Catholic Year 1 intake, followed by evidence that this would increase over seven years towards reasonable numbers

Lack of expressions of interest highlighted 

One of the significant factors in the decision was the absence of formal Expressions of Interest from families in the minority community.

Officials said there was insufficient evidence to show how minority-community enrolment would increase over the following seven years.

No Expressions of Interest were received, something the minister described as significant because they could have provided evidence of actual demand from the minority community to attend Killowen.

The minister acknowledged several factors in the school's favour, including the Catholic population living within areas from which Killowen draws pupils, an expectation that Catholic enrolment could increase following transformation and the school's transformation plan. 

However, he said there was little evidence that the Catholic population in the surrounding area would translate into enrolments at the level required.  

 Catholic percentage increased 

The religious composition of Killowen has changed substantially in the latest school census.

The proportion recorded as Catholic increased from 5.18% in 2024-25 to 13.27% in 2025-26. Protestant pupils represented 47.96% in 2025-26, while 28.06% were recorded as having no religion or their religion was unknown.  

However, the minister noted information supplied by the school indicating that the change was largely associated with a different approach to how parents completed Department of Education census information.

He concluded this did not demonstrate significant momentum towards meeting the reasonable-numbers requirement.  

School considered sustainable

The rejection was not based on Killowen's overall sustainability or educational provision.

Departmental papers describe the school as demonstrating many characteristics of a sustainable and effective school, with strong leadership and good educational provision.

Its enrolment stood at 196 pupils in 2025-26, above the Sustainable Schools Policy minimum recommended enrolment of 140 for an urban primary school.

Officials concluded that Killowen was sustainable at present, although they noted it was operating with a deficit budget which would need to be addressed.  

There is currently no integrated primary school within Coleraine itself. Departmental papers said the nearest option, Mill Strand Integrated Primary School in Portrush, is more than five miles away.

Officials acknowledged there was some evidence of demand for integrated education in the Coleraine area, pointing to the parental ballot and children from Coleraine already attending nearby integrated schools.    

Door remains open to another application

The minister ultimately concluded the available evidence did not establish that reasonable numbers of Protestant and Roman Catholic pupils were likely to be achieved.

He said he could therefore not be satisfied that Killowen would be likely to provide integrated education within the meaning of the legislation and the proposal had to be refused.

However, the decision does not prevent the school from trying again.

The minister said Killowen could bring forward a further application supported by additional evidence, adding that the Department had recently introduced a new process to assist schools seeking transformation and that Killowen "may be well placed to benefit from this scheme".