Mr. John D. TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the total number of(a) applicants and (b) admissions into the Armstrong Primary School in Armagh City in September 1999; what provision there is for a pre-school class at this school; at which locations in Armagh City he has approved pre-school provision; if there is an application by the Armstrong Primary School for approval of a pre-school facility; and if he will make a statement. [113685]
§ Mr. George Howarth[holding answer 13 March 2000]: The total number of applicants and the total number of admissions to the Armstrong Primary School, Armagh in September 1999 was 37. This includes 22 applications for reception during the current school year as they reach their fourth birthdays. Funded pre-school education provisions exists or has been approved through the 1999–2000 Pre-School Education Development Plan for the Southern Education and Library Board area in the following settings in Armagh City.
129W
Ward/school/centre Number of funded reception places 1 Number of funded voluntary/private pre-school places Number of statutory nursery places Total number of funded pre-school places Number of P1 children Observatory Armstrong Primary School 6 — — 6 34 Armagh Nursery School — — 29 29 — Royal School Prep Department — — — — 3 Saints and Scholars Integrated Primary School 28 — 226 26 22 Total 49 51 158 250 240 1 Number of reception children in attendance on 31 October 1998. 2 The reception places are due to be replaced by the nursery places in the 2000–01 school year. Note:
There is currently no application by Armstrong Primary School for approval of a pre-school facility in addition to its reception group. A proposal in 1999 from the Southern area Pre-School Education Advisory Group for the establishment of a nursery unit at the school was not approved by the Department of Education.