Education Minister Paul Givan has announced a new £600,000 programme to help primary school pupils improve their literacy and numeracy skills before moving to post-primary education. The Primary Literacy and Numeracy / Transitions Support Programme, launched on 24 September 2026, offers targeted support for children in Years 6 and 7 alongside structured transition arrangements between primary and post-primary schools.
The initiative forms part of the broader RAISE Programme, which is funded through the Irish government’s Shared Island Fund. However, schools have just one week to submit expressions of interest, with a deadline of noon on 1 October 2026.
What the Programme Offers
The scheme has two distinct elements:
- Primary Numeracy and Literacy Support Scheme: Funding between £1,000 and £4,000 per school, based on Year 6 and 7 pupil numbers, for targeted one-to-one, small group or team teaching
- Transition Partnership Scheme: Up to £5,000 for partnership clusters led by a post-primary school with at least two feeder primary schools, to deliver structured transition support between May and August 2027
School participation is entirely voluntary. Participating schools must develop bespoke proposals for targeted interventions throughout the 2026/27 academic year.
Minister’s Statement
Paul Givan said:
“This Programme is aimed at improving literacy and numeracy attainment among Primary 6 and Primary 7 pupils through additional one to one, small group or team teaching support to targeted pupils before entry to post-primary education.
“The Programme will also facilitate a more structured transition experience for pupils moving from Primary 7 to Year 8, delivered through partnerships between post-primary schools and feeder primary schools.”
He added:
“This new initiative will be a valuable element of the RAISE Programme delivering targeted pupil support and smoother, more effective transitions to post-primary education. I would encourage primary and post primary school leaders to consider how this Programme could benefit their pupils and submit an Expression of Interest.”
Context: The RAISE Programme and Shared Island Fund
The RAISE Programme (Raising Aspirations and Achievement) was announced by Givan in 2024 as a £20 million (€24 million) cross-border initiative to tackle educational disadvantage. It operates across 18 localities in Northern Ireland: Antrim, Ballymena, Belfast, Carrickfergus, Coleraine, Derry/Londonderry, Dungannon & Coalisland, Enniskillen, Limavady, Lisburn, Lurgan and Brownlow, Millisle and Donaghadee, Newry, Newtownabbey, and Portadown.
The programme is substantially funded through the Shared Island Fund, a €2 billion Irish government commitment to 2035 for cross-border projects. The fund supports infrastructure, research, enterprise and cultural initiatives across the island of Ireland.
RAISE has already faced scrutiny. In December 2025, a High Court judge dismissed a legal challenge claiming the programme’s area selection methodology discriminated against Catholics. Mr Justice Humphreys ruled the process, based on multiple deprivation measures and GCSE attainment data, was not directly discriminatory.
Questions of Scale and Timing
The £600,000 allocation represents a relatively modest investment when spread across Northern Ireland’s school estate. With 781 primary schools alone, even limited participation would see individual school allocations at the lower end of the £1,000-£4,000 scale.
The one-week deadline for expressions of interest—announced on 24 September with closure on 1 October—may disadvantage schools with limited administrative capacity or those requiring board approval. The Department has not indicated how many schools it expects to participate or how the £600,000 total was calculated.
Educational Context
The launch comes amid persistent concerns about literacy and numeracy standards. Department data from August 2025 showed 28% of primary school leavers were not achieving expected levels in literacy and numeracy. PISA 2025 results, published in September 2026, revealed Northern Ireland’s reading and maths scores for 15-year-olds had fallen over the past decade, though science performance remained strong.
Givan withdrew the previous Count, Read, Succeed strategy in January 2025. New literacy and numeracy strategies are expected to follow a curriculum review currently underway.
Questions for Consideration
- Is £600,000 sufficient to make meaningful impact on literacy and numeracy outcomes, or does this represent symbolic rather than substantive investment?
- Does the one-week application window allow fair access for all schools, particularly those in disadvantaged areas with limited administrative resources?
- How will the Department measure whether this programme improves transition experiences and attainment outcomes?
- Should cross-border Shared Island funding for education be subject to additional scrutiny given its political sensitivity?
- How does this initiative relate to the broader RAISE locality-led projects already funded, and will there be coordination to avoid duplication?
What Happens Next
Schools must submit expressions of interest online by noon on 1 October 2026. The Department has not specified when successful applicants will be notified or when funding will be released. Further information is available from the RAISE Team at raise@education-ni.gov.uk.