Eglinton Primary School officially open

The school caters for 392 pupils and has eight classrooms clustered around an internal courtyard providing natural light to the corridor, resource areas and library. Each classroom is fully equipped with an extensive range of modern teaching resources including enhanced ICT wireless provision where staff and pupils have access to touch screens, Chromebooks, iPads, an interactive whiteboard along with audio visual equipment. There is also a medical inspection room, a hygiene room and a modern staff room.

Lorna Blair, Principal said:

“This is a great day of celebration for the school community and I am delighted that the Minister has visited our school today. We are privileged to have a new facility with the latest educational resources and are very grateful to all those involved in the delivery of our new school building.”

Chair of the Board of Governors, Donna Vaughan, expressed her thanks. She said: “Our school community is greatly encouraged by this investment and the boost it has given to our educational provision. We are truly delighted with this bright, modern fully equipped building to support high quality teaching and learning.”

Performing the official opening, the Education Minister, said: “The £3million investment has provided a new eight class school with state of the art facilities, incorporating environmental technology such as ground sourced heat pumps and photovoltaic panels on the roof.”

“A new school building brings very tangible changes to the daily life of pupils and teachers and it is very rewarding to visit schools to see the benefits firsthand. This investment will have a positive impact on the young people of the Eglinton area for many generations to come.”

In his closing remarks, Rev Robert Herron, EA Board Member, said: “Education comes in many forms, and has been used for many purposes. An education for success in our ever changing world must be enabling and outward looking, it must not only teach the time tested skills of literacy and numeracy, which remain important, but the ability to use communication and information technology which is now a critical part of learning.

This new Eglinton PS and its state-of-the-art facilities will prepare children for this change and will ensure they are prepared for whatever society will bring over the coming years.“

During his visit the Minister unveiled the official opening plaque and was given a tour of the new school.

The new school received funding through the Major Works programme which is supported by the Department of Education (DE).