Transfer of School Records

Sepia tone photograph of a school building behind a fence on a street with children dressed for school.
Photograph of Carrickfergus Model School, c.1907 (ED/26/8/1)

Introduction

The Irish National School system was established in the 1831, with the aim of providing primary level education across the island of Ireland. As the nineteenth century progressed, schooling became increasingly important and part of everyday life for many. In the Education Act (Ireland) 1892, school attendance was made mandatory for children aged between 6 and 14 years, though this was not enforced in rural areas. 

The Education Act (Northern Ireland) of 1923 made further changes to the education system in Northern Ireland.  National Schools changed their name to Public Elementary Schools. They would undergo another name change, in the late 1940s, to Primary Schools. 

The records held in PRONI provide local context for these large-scale changes and developments, as well as a glimpse into everyday life in local areas from the mid-nineteenth century. 

Good records management by schools makes this possible and makes these records available for family historians and researchers. Schools must transfer certain types of records to PRONI, as set out below.   

 

Types of school records to be transferred to PRONI

Certain types of school records must be transferred to PRONI for permanent preservation and are outlined in the Model Schools Retention and Disposal. This is a legal requirement. These include: 

  • Registers of Enrolment
  • Board of Governors Minutes
  • School Annual Reports

These should be offered to PRONI when they are twenty years old. Records can also be offered to PRONI before they are twenty years old in exceptional circumstances. This, for example, might include records of schools which are due to be closed or amalgamated.   

Digital records

Many school records, such as enrolment registers, minutes and reports, were traditionally created as paper documents, often in bound volumes or folders. These remain common, and the process for transferring paper records is outlined in the How To Transfer Records section below.

However, more recent records may exist in digital format. The obligation to transfer records to PRONI is the same whether they are in paper or digital format.

If your school needs to transfer digital records:

  • The record types that must be transferred remain the same.
  • There is a separate process for digital transfers, which includes agreeing secure delivery arrangements with PRONI.

Historical records

You may find records within your school which should have been transferred to PRONI some time ago, possibly even dating back to the school’s founding. If you have found early versions of the records listed above (Enrolment Registers, Minutes and Reports), PRONI would be happy to receive these records.

A note on attendance data: You may come across historic attendance rolls which record the days which each child present in school. PRONI will consider accepting these records only if no General Registers of Enrolment exist for the period that the attendance rolls cover. PRONI will be able to inform you what, if anything, we already hold from your school.  

School closures

PRONI will accept transfers of records from schools which are closing or amalgamating with another school before the records reach twenty years old.  Transfers of records from these schools should be organised well in advance of the school’s final operational day.

 

Getting in contact with PRONI

Initial contact with PRONI should be made by emailing recordsmanagement@communities-ni.gov.uk. Your request will be directed to the Records Management Team, which handles the transfer of records, whether the records are hardcopy or digital.

You will be asked to provide a list of all the records you wish to transfer, including what type of records, what date ranges they cover, and the quantity of records you wish to transfer.  Before you contact PRONI, please check the Model Schools Retention and Disposal Schedule when making the  list of records for transfer or appraisal by PRONI. 

A member of the Records Management Team will respond and confirm whether the records are of interest to PRONI. They may ask some follow-up questions in order to decide if the records are of PRONI interest and to find out if PRONI holds any other records from your school. 

 

How to transfer records

  1. Contact PRONI by email, at recordsmanagement@communities-ni.gov.uk.  A member of the Records Management Team will guide you through the process.
  2. Prepare a list of records, including the record titles, date ranges, and the number of records you wish to transfer to PRONI.  You should check the Model Schools Retention and Disposal Schedule before contacting PRONI.
  3. PRONI will assess your list and confirm if the records should transfer, and may ask follow-up questions about the records to be transferred.  PRONI staff will also check if any records from your school have already transferred to PRONI.
  4. Transfer arrangements
  • Paper and hard copy records: PRONI will provide a collection form and agree a transfer date when PRONI staff will collect the records from your school.

  • Digital records: The same principles apply. Contact PRONI to discuss secure transfer and metadata requirements.

     

What happens after transfer

  • The records will go through a number of checks by PRONI staff before they are added to PRONI’s searchable catalogues.
  • You will receive a Warrant, which is a legal document from PRONI, which will confirm that the records have transferred into PRONI’s custody.   

  • Most school records remain closed under data protection legislation until the youngest person mentioned turns 100 years old. Some records (e.g., reports, publications) may be open immediately.

     

Requesting records for a display 

Schools may, at times, contact PRONI with requests to display original records for events around anniversaries or other special occasions. PRONI may be able to facilitate the temporary loan of items which are ‘open’. However, due to the age of some school records, the PRONI conservation team will need to assess each record and will accompany it to the event. The process of assessing the record, and preparing it for travel, can take considerable time. Any display requests should be received well in advance of the event date. 

For further information, you can view our full policy on requesting loans and day displays.