NEWS

Education Minister Paul Givan is pictured at Anahilt Pre-school Playgroup, Hillsborough with pupils and Dara Graham, Preschool Leader. Education Minister Paul Givan has announced a major expansion of pre-school education provision, with an additional 102 pre-school settings  across Northern Ireland approved to offer full-time education from September 2026. This announcement represents the second phase of settings approved to transition to offering full-time places under the o

St Louis Grammar School, Ballymena St Louis Grammar School has secured its place among Northern Ireland’s top-performing post-primary schools, ranking ninth in the prestigious Sunday Times Parent Power 2026 guide . The annual league table, widely considered the definitive benchmark for school performance across the UK, will be published online on Friday 5 December and in print on Sunday 7 December. Nationally, St Louis Grammar also earns a strong position at number 65 within

Pictured (L-R) Wholetime Firefighters from Antrim area, Emma Hutchinson from Carrickfergus, Daniel Richey from Ballyclare and Emer McLernon from Ballymena. Ballymena’s own Emer McLernon is among 18 new Wholetime Firefighters who graduated today from the Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service (NIFRS) Learning & Development College (LDC), marking the completion of an intensive 18-week training programme and the beginning of their operational careers serving communities across N

Professor Linda Kelly, NIPEC Chief Executive; Health Minister Mike Nesbitt; Professor Maria McIlgorm, Chief Nursing Office A new Career and Development Model designed to support professional growth and long-term workforce retention across Northern Ireland’s nursing and midwifery professions has been formally launched. The model, unveiled this week at the Northern Ireland Practice & Education Council for Nursing & Midwifery (NIPEC) annual conference, provides a clear and struc

New Chief Executive of Wrightbus, Axel J. Maschka Zero-emission transport manufacturer Wrightbus has announced Axel J. Maschka as its new Chief Executive, marking a significant moment in the Ballymena-based company’s continued growth on the international stage. Maschka, an accomplished senior executive with decades of experience in the global automotive supply chain, joins Wrightbus after holding top roles at Hyundai Mobis, Valeo, Volvo, Continental, Leclanché, Bosch and Merc

Pictured are the latest cohort of students from the Supporting Communities Scholarship Scheme, Noah Hought, Michael Cushenan, Caoimhe Layland McGroggan and Jelisejs Sestakovs, alongside Stephanie McKilliop, far left and Sandra Ross, far right, from Supporting Communities.  The Gallaher Trust has announced a further three-year extension to its scholarship schemes, securing £99,000 in funding to support disadvantaged young adults pursuing business or STEM-based studies in the B

BT has announced a major new Future Technology Research and Innovation (FTRI) programme at the BT Ireland Innovation Centre (BTIC) in Belfast, signalling what is expected to be £45 million of investment in Northern Ireland over the next five years. Launched by BT Group Chief Executive Allison Kirkby, the programme will significantly expand the region’s tech research capacity through new industrial research streams, advanced engineering projects and deeper collaboration betwee

Ulster Unionist Education Spokesperson Jon Burrows MLA has welcomed the introduction of a new emergency messaging system for schools, following the Education Minister’s admission that “communication failures” took place during the handling of Storm Amy. The recent review into the events surrounding the storm found that critical updates were not delivered quickly enough to schools, leading to widespread confusion as closure decisions were issued. Mr Burrows said the review h

Principals Sandra Sheeran (Ballykeel Primary), Karen McMaster (Camphill Primary), and Neil McCullough (Harryville Primary), governors, counsellor and parent representatives, with Minister Gordon Lyons, DUP North Antrim MLA Paul Frew, and Indeoendent Ballymena Councillor Lawrie Philpott. The Minister for Communities, Gordon Lyons , visited North Antrim on Wednesday following intervention from DUP MLA Paul Frew that helped secure continued funding for a counselling and therap

John Unsworth, EA Assistant Director; John Trueman, Director of Qualifications, CCEA; Angela Kane, Department of Education; and Sean Fearon, Education and Training Inspectorate; came together to host over 150 Early Career Teachers at Lagan Valley Island Conference Centre. More than 150 Early Career Teachers (ECTs) from across Northern Ireland gathered at Lagan Valley Island Conference Centre for a major professional development event jointly hosted by the Education Authority

TUV North Antrim MLA Timothy Gaston Speaking in the Assembly on Monday (November 24), TUV North Antrim MLA Timothy Gaston emphasised the importance of maintaining the Christian foundation of Religious Education (RE) in Northern Ireland’s schools, following a recent Supreme Court judgment. Describing the ruling as “the final stage in a calculated assault on the foundations of the controlled sector,” Mr Gaston highlighted the historical roots of the education system. “It is of

Economy Minister Dr Caoimhe Archibald has reiterated her commitment to strengthening workplace protections for victims and survivors of domestic abuse, confirming that legislation to implement the Domestic Abuse (Safe Leave) Act (NI) 2022 will be introduced before the end of the current Assembly mandate. The Act, passed in 2022, requires the Department for the Economy to create regulations enabling workers affected by domestic abuse to access at least 10 days of paid “safe l

Ballymena Academy pupils Samantha Dunlop and Katie McNeilly who are through to the final stage of the ABP Angus Youth Challenge Ballymena Academy has secured a place in the final of the prestigious ABP Angus Youth Challenge, with two Year 11 pupils set to take on an innovative project aimed at advancing genetic literacy in beef production. The announcement was made today via YouTube , where pupils Samantha Dunlop and Katie McNeilly learned that their school had qualified for

Graduates of the Northern Ireland Hospitality School have doubled within the last year as support from the private sector also almost doubles. Pictured during the School’s graduation ceremony at Galgorm Resort are, from left, Djann Balmes, a former Bar Academy graduate who now manages the Conservatory and Gin Library at Galgorm Resort, Ashley Douglas, Northern Ireland Hospitality School Director of Operations and Brenda McGale, Britvic Ireland.  The Northern Ireland Hospitali

Classroom Assistants at Castle Tower School, Hong Cassley, Gemma Moore and Vicky Balmer, with Maggie Anderson, team leader at SPAR Grove Road, Steven Henry, store manager at SPAR Grove Road and assistance dogs Percy and Nico.   SPAR Grove Road has continued its commitment to supporting local education by donating 165 chocolate bars to Castle Tower School in Ballymena as part of its Classroom Assistant Appreciation Day celebrations. The gesture is the latest in an ongoing part

A Northern Ireland school will receive an extra-special festive surprise this December as local Full Fibre broadband provider Fibrus launches its new ‘Christmas Classroom’ competition. The initiative invites schools across Northern Ireland to nominate their Primary One, Primary Two, or P1/P2 composite classes for the chance to win a magical Christmas visit from Santa and the Fibrus Tinsel Team. The winning classroom will be treated to a sack filled with some of the most sough

TUV MP Jim Allister has sharply criticised a recent Supreme Court judgment on Religious Education (RE) in Northern Ireland, describing the ruling as a threat to the long-established Christian ethos within the region’s school system. In a strongly worded statement, Mr Allister said he was “deeply disturbed” by aspects of the judgment, particularly the court’s reference to the potential for “indoctrination” within current RE provision. “As someone who has consistently defended

The Mayor of Mid & East Antrim Cllr Jackson Minford joins with Women’s Aid CEO Gillian Creevy and St Colmcille’s Primary Vice Principal, Miss Catherine Stewart to launch Women’s Aid Heading For Healthy Relationships Primary School programme funded by the EVAWG Change Fund. A new preventative education initiative aimed at helping young people build healthy, respectful relationships has been launched at St Colmcille Primary School in Ballymena. The Heading For Healthy Relations

A County Antrim engineering company has been fined £10,000 after a worker suffered severe foot injuries during an unsafe lifting operation at its Coleraine premises. Maine Surface Finishing Ltd was sentenced today at Laganside Crown Court, Belfast, after earlier pleading guilty to a single health and safety offence following an investigation by the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI). The court heard that the incident took place on 29 August 2023, when an

Asda Antrim trolley porter, Tony Burns Customers at Asda Antrim say they are “in safe hands” thanks to porter Tony Burns , whose quick thinking and kindness have earned him a reputation as a car park hero. The father of seven, who has worked at the store for almost a decade, has helped a string of customers in need — from changing tyres to rescuing a baby accidentally locked in a car. Tony, described by colleagues as someone who always “goes the extra mile”, has become a fam