The principal of a Co Down school has described plans to close it after a bid to become an integrated primary was turned down as "an absolute travesty".
Last month the Department of Education rejected a bid by St. Anne's Primary School in Donaghadee to transform it into an integrated primary school.
Instead, it has been decided that the 91-year-old school on Millisle Road with 58 pupils should close in October.
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In March 2022, St Anne's formally applied to the Education Authority (EA) to become the second Catholic school to change to integrated status from September 2023 to meet a growing demand for integrated education in Donaghadee.
The school was also facing a separate proposal from the Council for Catholic Maintained Schools (CCMS) to close it due to falling numbers.
Existing schools can change to become formally integrated as part of a process that includes a ballot of parents.
Seaview Primary in Glenarm became the first Catholic school in Northern Ireland to reopen as an integrated school in September 2021.
While St Anne's is a small Catholic maintained primary school, it has pupils from a range of backgrounds - Protestant, Catholic and other religious backgrounds or none.
The Department of Education said it had approved the CCMS decision to close St Anne’s based on the "historic low enrolment".
Announcing the plan Dr Mark Browne, DE Permanent Secretary, said: “Having considered all the information and evidence for St Anne’s PS, there is insufficient evidence that the continuation of the school would result in the delivery of sustainable provision for pupils.”
The school was due to close this August but this has been postponed for two months.
School principal, John Hennessy, told Belfast Live: "The closure news came as a real shock to us as we were really hopeful and very optimistic that the transformation to integrated would be approved and had incredible support.
"Over the past couple of weeks, we've been trying to deal with that and help parents and pupils adjust to possible closure. We really believe that this decision is a mistake.
"This is a required school in this particular area in terms of its community background and our work for shared education. We wanted an integrated school to serve the community as Donaghadee is growing vastly with the number of families moving into the town.
"It seems an absolute travesty to follow through with this proposal."
Parents have started a petition to overturn the decision to deny St. Anne's PS Integrated status, which they intend to hand to the Department of Education.
Mr Hennessy added: “The Board of Governors are still in negotiations with the CCMS to modify the proposal to close to August 31, 2024. We are still awaiting their response.
“We're also furious that the Permanent Secretary took 80 days to make and publish his decision when the average taken for other decisions was 22 days.
“There is a huge swell of public anger in the community about this decision because St Anne's has always been a school for everyone.
“The parents have mounted a strong public campaign harnessing the sense of outrage within the entire Donaghadee town and further afield and their incredible support to keep St. Anne's open.
“All five North Down MLAs have also given their support and are arranging a deputation to the Permanent Secretary in the coming weeks.”
Dr Browne has also since apologised to the school for giving its governors and principal just 35 minutes notice on June 8th that the school was to close before making the news public.
School governors said the decision failed to "demonstrate any sensitivity to the health and wellbeing of pupils, parents and staff" by giving them such short notice.
In his letter of apology to the Chair of the school’s Board of Governors, Gillian McCollum, and seen by Belfast Live, Dr Browne said that "due process was followed by Departmental officials" in the relaying of such news "in advance of the wider communication to the press".
He added: “However, I fully recognise that while each decision was conveyed to you in advance of the press release being issued, insufficient time was made available for you to communicate the decisions in an appropriate way to the school principal and thereafter to staff, parents and the wider community.
“It is clear that on this occasion our arrangements fell short of what we would wish, and the school community would rightly expect, and I wish to express my sincerest apologies for the hurt and anxiety you have suffered as a consequence.”
Dr Browne’s letter added: “I fully appreciate that the decisions themselves are not what the school community would have hoped for. I am also aware that the closure of any school is very emotive, and these are difficult decisions to take.
“Each proposal requires very careful consideration, and I would stress that decisions are taken in the best educational interests of the children.
“Once again, my most sincere apologies for the hurt and anxiety that the inadequate timing of wider communications has caused and I can assure you that we as a department will reflect on our arrangements in communicating decisions of this nature to ensure that this does not recur in the future.”
You can sign the petition here.
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