Asylum seekers and refugees: education and childcare
Every child aged between four and 16 is entitled to a school place. Children who have arrived in Northern Ireland as asylum seekers or refugees have the same right to schooling as any other child.
School enrolment
Applications should be made directly to individual schools. You should send application form (AP1) directly to your preferred school(s). This form is available from the Education Authority (EA) website at:
To identify local schools, visit:
More advice is available on the EA admissions help desk:
- phone: 028 9598 5595 - open Monday to Thursday 8.00 am to 6.00 pm and Friday 8.00 am to 5.00 pm
If the school has capacity, it should offer your child a place within 11 working days of receiving the application. Where a school declines admission, an application should be made to another school.
There may be a right of appeal in for any refusal and an admissions complaint form can be sent to the Department of Education at:
Sources of advice for schools
The Intercultural Education Service (IES) outlines what support is available for schools:
Information for asylum seekers and refugees can be found at:
Education - help for Ukrainian nationals living in Northern Ireland
For those arriving in Northern Ireland from Ukraine you can view the following video about education.