Waringstown gets new school

The Department of Education announced it was making available half a million pounds for a new primary school.

The news came as a great relief to school principal, Mr Leslie Spearman.

“It is an answer to all our prayers,” he said.

“We have waited such a long, long time for this. I have been here for 11 years and plans for a new school were at the final planning stage then.

“It is good to know that at long last it is about to take off.”

The proposed date for the building to start was 1988.

Mr Spearman hoped that work would have started in 1987.

He said: “We have waited so long I don’t suppose a little longer will make any difference not that we know for sure the new school will be built,” he added.

But he felt it would be sad to see the old school, which was built in 1933, demolished.

“It is a beautiful building with a lot of character and wonderful surroundings. It holds many happy memories for so many people but unfortunately the classrooms have become sub-standard in size and totally unsuitable.”

Mr Spearman explained that there had been a major increase in the population in the Waringstown area over the years with a lot of young families moving into the area and he felt that a new and bigger school was essential.