Thornfield House Special School choir

Who we are

The Controlled Schools’ Support Council (CSSC) is the sectoral support body for controlled schools in Northern Ireland.

CSSC’s vision is to empower controlled schools to serve their communities by enriching the lives of their children and young people.

Who we support

CSSC supports controlled schools which are open to all welcoming children and young people of all faiths and none, richly diverse and inclusive, reflective of and embedded in the communities they serve.

The controlled education sector is the largest, most diverse education sector in Northern Ireland comprising 49% of all schools across all phases: nursery, special, primary, secondary, grammar, integrated and Irish-medium schools.

How we support the sector

A Council whose focus is on controlled schools who raise awareness of the needs of the sector.

  • Support and advice, including dedicated CSSC Schools’ Support Officers.
  • Support for leaders in ethos and leadership development.
  • Sectoral representation at many levels on key issues affecting education.
  • A Council which provides opportunities that will enhance teaching and learning.
  • Sector specific communications.
  • Blocks
    62

    nursery schools

  • School
    38

    special schools

  • Books
    370

    primary schools

  • Bag
    69

    post-primary schools
    (53 secondary / 16 grammar)

  • Jigsaw
    38

    integrated schools

  • Bag
    2

    irish medium schools

Find out more about CSSC