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All schools are required to produce improvement plans that clearly set out the short, medium and long-term goals of the school, in such areas as curriculum, resources, buildings, finance, staff development, etc. The plans are reviewed annually.

Under the 2001 Education Act, the Department makes school meals available to those people wishing to partake so all pupils have the opportunity to obtain a meal in school every day.

In secondary schools, food is available before school and at break times as well as lunchtime.

In primary schools, food is available only at lunchtime. Meals are prepared to current nutritional best practice standards. Catering staff work closely with teaching staff to ensure pupils are encouraged to make informed, healthy choices. See the school meals page

Secondary education on the Isle of Man is non selective and is for students between the ages of 11 and 18 and therefore includes Key Stage 3, Key Stage 4 and 16 to 19 education. Secondary education is provided at present in 5 schools and there is a degree of overlap with the University College Isle of Man (UCM), which admits students from the age of 16 onwards for further education.

The Department's strategic priorities for the next five years are set out in its Service Delivery Plan and are reviewed annually.

The Department of Education and Children recognises that sex education is a difficult issue that will place demands on schools and teachers. It is, however, an important part of children’s preparation for adult life. The Policy on Sex and Relationship Education provides the basis for a whole Island policy on the teaching of sex education in primary and secondary schools, the University College Isle of Man (UCM) and the Youth Service. Copies of this policy and guidance notes are also available from:

The policy of the Department is that special educational needs should be identified and met in mainstream situations wherever possible. Further details can be provided by:

Pupils are admitted to schools’ reception classes at the beginning of the academic year in which they reach their fifth birthday. To assist schools in the allocation of staff and the planning of resources, parents are required to register their child with a school. See also enrolling for school.

Catchment areas exist for each school. Any parent unsure which catchment area they reside in should go to Maps and look up the school catchment area for your postcode or contact:

Parents of children who will be 5 on or after 1 September 2016 should contact the relevant school as soon as possible to register their child for the start of the academic year 2016/17, which begins on Wednesday 7 September 2016.

Support may be available from the Department of Education and Children for further and higher education courses. Applications are processed and administered by the Student Awards Section of the Department. See the Student grants page or contact:

Information we hold about you or your child can be requested by completing the Subject Access Request form after reading the procedures and sending it to DPO-DESC@gov.im . 

It is necessary to prove the identity of requestors so that information is not passed on to the wrong person as indicated in the procedure document.

Information about how data is collected, used and retained can be found in the privacy notice on a school’s website and the Department’s privacy notice may give information.

The arrangements for suspension from a school are being updated from 2 September 2019. The new policy can be downloaded from this page or a copy can be sent to you by contacting:

Key Stage 2 children are offered swimming tuition in the autumn and spring terms.