Minister for Education and Youth confirms next phase in the Primary School Survey process as school communities to receive individual results next week
- Foilsithe: 26 Bealtaine 2026
- An t-eolas is déanaí: 26 Bealtaine 2026
Minister for Education and Youth Hildegarde Naughton has today confirmed that all primary schools will receive their school-specific results next week, marking the next stage in the process of engaging school communities on the future direction of their schools.
Speaking today, Minister Naughton said:
“My department has completed its work on validating the survey responses and analysing the results, and I am pleased to confirm that the next phase in the process is beginning. Next week, every primary school community will receive their school-specific report, together with detailed explanatory information from my department. This guidance will support Boards of Management in sharing the results with their wider school communities and in engaging openly and constructively with parents, staff and patrons on what the findings mean for their individual school.
“While the national picture provides important context, it is the position within each individual school community that matters most. The results are intended to support meaningful local engagement and informed decision-making at school level.”
The explanatory information being provided to schools will include guidance for Boards of Management on communicating the results to their communities, facilitating engagement and consultation, and understanding the parental preferences reflected in the survey findings. It will also provide examples of what may constitute a clear mandate for change, or a clear mandate for maintaining existing arrangements.
Continuing, Minister Naughton said:
“I am clear that decisions about the future direction of schools should be led by school communities themselves. It is important that schools are given the time and space to reflect carefully on their results and to engage fully with parents and the wider school communities before making decisions.
“Where the survey results indicate demand for change, the decisions on whether a school wishes to be included in the first phase of schools progressing changes should be made locally, following consultation and engagement with the community. My department will continue to support and engage with schools as they consider their individual results and next steps.”
Schools that wish to be included in the first group of schools progressing changes arising from the survey process will be asked to notify both the Department and their patron by 31 October 2026.
The Minister updated cabinet colleagues on the next steps in the process at today’s Cabinet meeting.
All school-specific reports and the explanatory information pack will be published on gov.ie in June. The first changes arising from the process are expected to be implemented from September 2027.
Key Timelines
Week commencing 25 May 2026
Department provides summary of the survey results to school patrons on all the schools under their patronage
Week commencing 1 June 2026
Department provides school-specific reports and explanatory information to all primary schools
Mid-June 2026
Department publishes all school-specific reports
31 October 2026
Date by which schools, after having reflected on their school survey results and consulting with their school community, inform the department if they wish to be included in the first group of schools to action the survey results.
Notes for editors
Overview
On 4 November 2025, the department published a 'Framework and action plan for delivery of increased choice for parents on education provision at primary level', available here:
The main focus of this framework and action plan was an online, school-specific survey. The survey ran from 4 November to 16 December 2025.
Through the survey, the department has obtained clear information on the preferences of parents and guardians about the primary schools which their children currently attend, or will attend in coming years, on a number of important areas of primary school provision, including patronage/ethos, co-education or single-sex school provision and language of instruction (English or Irish).
In early June, every primary school will receive their school-specific results and in mid-June the department will publish all school-specific reports on the gov.ie website.
Where the survey results show demand for change, Boards of Management will have the opportunity to consider being included in the first group of schools to action the survey results, following a period of engagement and consultation with their school community, including their parents and Parent’s Association, Student Council, school staff and local community, including parents with children not yet in school.
Schools will be asked to inform the department and their patron by 31 October 2026 if the school requests to be included in the first group of schools to action the survey results.
The department will support schools which are included in the first group of schools to action their survey results.
Summary of process at school level
The department is asking the Board of Management Chairperson and Principal to ensure that:
- their school-specific survey report on the preferences of parents and accompanying information is circulated to all Board of Management members; to the school’s Parent’s Association (if the school has a Parent’s Association); to all school staff; and to all parents of pupils in the school.
- the Board of Management requests the school Parent’s Association to provide any comments or feedback they may have to the Board of Management before the dedicated meeting of the Board of Management to reflect on and discuss the parental preferences as outlined in the survey report.
- the Board of Management inform parents, guardians and school staff of the date that has been given to the Parent’s Association to provide any comments/feedback on the parental preferences expressed in the survey that the Parent’s Association may have.
- the Board of Management publish the school-specific report on the school website (where the school has a website) and provide the school e-mail address for any feedback from the local community.
- the Board of Management is asked to hold a meeting for the school community, including parents, and the local community, such as parents of children not yet in primary school. The details for this, should be communicated to the school community and local community and also set out on the school website.
- after the above steps have been completed, a dedicated meeting of the Board of Management takes place where the results of the survey for the school are discussed in detail, including any feedback from the Parent’s Association and from the community and a decision is taken as to whether to request to be included in the first group of schools to action the survey results from September 2027, where the parental preferences show demand for change. (Ideally the meeting would take place in September or October 2026).
- a decision on whether to request to be included in the first tranche of schools to action the survey results, where the survey results show parental demand for change, needs to be made by the school’s Board of Management and notified to the department and to the school patron by the Chairperson of the Board of Management before 31 October 2026. The school community should also be informed of the decision of the Board of Management.