IN PICTURES: Portrush's Mill Strand IPS pupils welcome Secretary of State to their new school

Mill Strand Integrated Primary School and Nursery in Portrush took the opportunity to give MP Hilary Benn a tour of the new school building and Nursery Unit. The £12.5 million investment was provided through the Fresh Start Agreement.

The new school build was completed in July 2024 and is comprised of 14 classes and a double nursery unit, which will provide an Integrated Education for 420 pupils in the Portrush area.

Callum Hannigan, Principal of Mill Strand IPS and Nursery, commented: “Mill Strand IPS and Nursery was delighted to have the opportunity to show MP Hilary Benn around our new school building on such a significant day. We were delighted to introduce the Secretary of State to our pupils, staff and founding parents.

"This new building is the culmination of a 20 year long journey and marks a real milestone for the school. The new school has retained a sense of its history, identity and core values as depicted on the murals that dominate the façade of the school. We were delighted to be able to show the Secretary of State these murals and talk about the history and also our plans for the future of.

"The visit also provided an opportunity for the pupils to engage directly with the Secretary of State, an opportunity which the pupils relished. They were able to express eloquently what integration means to them. Integrated Education is not just a matter of mixing religions, but an intentional ethos which brings people together from different cultures and backgrounds and permeates every element of school life, everything from the interactions in the playground, the conversations at the school gate, the teaching staff, to the governance of the school.”

Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Hilary Benn, said: “It was an absolute pleasure to visit Mill Strand IPS and Nursery on such an auspicious day, and especially for me and the current pupils to hear the moving story of the school’s founding by a group of parents and others who wanted an Integrated Education for their children.

This Government is unapologetic in its support for more Integrated Education in Northern Ireland so that children from different backgrounds can learn together, better understand one another and become friends.”

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