The Education (School Development Plans) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2026
S.R. 2026/106 · Made 4 June 2026 · Extends to Northern Ireland
Education
Made 4th June 2026
Coming into operation 1st August 2026
The Department of Education, in exercise of the powers conferred by Articles 13(3) and 90(3) of the Education (Northern Ireland) Order 1998f1, makes the following Regulations:
Annotations to the whole text
Footnotes
- f1
-
S.I. 1998/1759 (N.I. 13) to which there are amendments not relevant to these Regulations
Contents
- 1Citation and commencement
- 2Revocation and saving
- 3Application
- 4Matters to be addressed in school development plans
- 5The period for which a school development plan is to have effect
- 6Publication of a school development plan
- 7Monitoring, review, and revision of school development plan
- Signature
- Explanatory note
1Citation and commencementI1
These Regulations may be cited as the Education (School Development Plans) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2026 and come into operation on 1st August 2026.
2Revocation and savingI1
The Education (School Development Plans) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2010f1 are revoked.
The Education (School Development Plans) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2010 continue to apply to school development plans prepared or last revised before 1st August 2026.
3ApplicationI1
These Regulations apply to school development plans prepared or revised by the Board of Governors of a grant-aided school, in pursuance of the requirements of the scheme of management for the school under Article 13(1) of the Education (Northern Ireland) Order 1998, on or after 1st August 2026.
4Matters to be addressed in school development plansI1
Every school development plan is to include a concise statement of:
the school’s vision and ethos;
the context of the school, to include the particular circumstances, conditions and characteristics of the environment within which the school operates, together with any material opportunities or challenges arising therefrom;
the evaluation and evidence that informed the school development plan;
the school’s high-level areas of focus for school improvement across the next three years as identified through (c) to achieve the school’s vision and in line with any directives from the Department;
a set of actions for delivery in the forthcoming academic year.
5The period for which a school development plan is to have effectI1
Subject to regulation 7 a school development plan prepared or revised in accordance with these Regulations is to have effect for a period of three years beginning with the date on which the preparation or the last revision of the plan was completed by the Board of Governors.
6Publication of a school development planI1
A school development plan must be published on the school’s website annually and a copy must be submitted to the Education Authority on request.
7Monitoring, review, and revision of school development planI1
The Board of Governors of a grant-aided school is to monitor and review the progress made during each school year against the school development plan and revise it as they consider necessary.
Without prejudice to paragraph (1), the Board of Governors of a grant-aided school is to revise the school’s development plan –
in respect of the set of actions for delivery required by regulation 4(e), annually;
in respect of the matters specified in regulation 4 (a) – (d), no later than 3 years beginning with the date on which the preparation or last revision of the plan was completed;
following an inspection of a school under Article 102 of the Education and Libraries (Northern Ireland) Order 1986f1, no later than 6 months from the date on which the report on such an inspection is published by the Department.
Signature
Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department of Education on 4th June 2026
L.S.
Cynthia Currie
A senior officer of the
Department of Education
Explanatory note
(This note is not part of the Order)
These Regulations, which are made under Article 13(3) of the Education (Northern Ireland) Order 1998, relate to school development plans in grant-aided schools.
Regulation 2 revokes the Education (School Development Plans) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2010.
Regulation 4 sets out the matters to be dealt with in a school development plan.
Regulation 5 stipulates the period for which a school development plan is to have effect.
Regulation 7 requires Boards of Governors to annually monitor, and review progress made against the school development plan, including to prepare annually a set of actions to be delivered in the forthcoming academic year. It also requires a school development plan to be revised after three years or no later than 6 months following the date of publication of a report of an inspection of a school carried out under Article 102 of the Education and Libraries (Northern Ireland) Order 1986.