St John the Baptist College in Portadown helps to lead the way with high quality specialist provision within a mainstream setting

The Orchard opened in September 2025 and reflects the college’s strong and sustained commitment to inclusive education and to meeting the diverse needs of all learners within a supportive mainstream environment.

Eamonn Broderick, chief executive of the Council for Catholic Maintained Schools (CCMS) officially opened the new provision on Thursday, alongside his colleague Mairead Harvey, Director of Education.

Their presence marked a significant and meaningful moment for the school community and highlighted the collective commitment to inclusive educational practice.

Speaking at the opening, Mr Broderick said: “It is encouraging to see schools leading the way in developing high quality specialist provision within a mainstream setting. The Orchard exemplifies a strong commitment to inclusion, partnership, and ensuring that pupils with additional needs are supported to flourish within their local school community.”

The Orchard consists of two specialist classes – a Specialist Provision Learning Class, offering tailored academic support within a structured and nurturing setting; and a Specialist Provision for Social Communication, designed to support pupils through targeted interventions that promote communication, emotional regulation, and positive social interaction.

The establishment of The Orchard comes at a time of growing demand for specialist school places for children with Special Educational Needs.

St John the Baptist’s College was keen to help address this need and recognised the importance of developing high quality specialist provision while maintaining meaningful access to mainstream education. This approach ensures pupils benefit from both individualised support and a strong sense of belonging within their local school community.

This commitment to inclusion is reflected in the college’s School of Sanctuary status, recognising its ethos of welcome, safety, and respect for diversity.

The college also hosted a celebration event to mark achieving the Autism NI Impact Award, recognising best practice and a whole school commitment to supporting autistic pupils. Building on this work, the school has recently introduced a new Autism Ambassador Programme, empowering pupils with autism and their parents by giving them a greater voice in planning, reviewing and shaping progress.

Staff within The Orchard have undertaken extensive professional learning to support the successful implementation of the provision. This has included specialist training and ongoing support from the Education Authority, as well as valuable opportunities to learn from other local schools who kindly hosted visits and shared expertise from their already established and thriving specialist provisions.

Looking ahead, St John the Baptist’s College has confirmed plans to extend the Specialist Provision in September 2026 to include additional Key Stage classes, further strengthening continuity of support as pupils progress through their education.

Staff at the college are immensely proud of the pupils within The Orchard and the positive way in which they have settled into college life. Pupils are now confidently integrated across a wide range of subject areas within the mainstream school, building friendships, engaging meaningfully with learning, and participating fully in wider school life.

Principal Mrs Noella Murray, said: “As a school, we feel passionately about having a truly inclusive environment where all children belong to one school family. Irrespective of gender, ability, or level of need, we believe every child should be educated together within an appropriate and supportive environment.”