NEWS

Galgorm Collection has donated funds to Kells and Connor Primary School to support the purchase of new iPads. Some of the pupils are pictured alongside Principal, Mr Finlay, Senior Teacher and ICT Lead, Mrs Richmond and Victoria Brown, Director of Marketing at Galgorm Collection.  Hospitality group Galgorm Collection has donated £1,000 to Kells and Connor Primary School , located just outside Ballymena, to support the purchase of new iPads for pupils, helping to strengthen d

Two Ballymena schools have secured funding for new synthetic sports pitches following successful applications to the Department of Education, a move welcomed by North Antrim DUP MLA Paul Frew as a significant boost to sports provision in local schools. Cambridge House Grammar School and Slemish College have both been approved for new facilities under Department of Education capital programmes, aimed at strengthening physical education, sport and wider wellbeing as part of t

Artist’s impression of the new building for Mary Queen of Peace Primary School in Glenravel, County Antrim. Confirmation that a contractor has been appointed to deliver the new £7.28 million school building for Mary Queen of Peace Primary School in Glenravel has been welcomed as a major milestone for the local community. The rural primary school in the Glens of Antrim has faced a lengthy journey to reach this stage, with the announcement bringing renewed optimism for pupils,

Principal Alastair Beacom, Dunclug Primary School in Ballymena, honoured at Westminster this week for their work in international education - receiving a British Council International School Award, from Colm McGivern, Director of the British Council Northern Ireland At a time when schools across Northern Ireland continue to face mounting financial pressures and concerns that funding is not sufficient to meet the scale of educational challenges, a Ballymena primary school has

North Antrim DUP MLA Paul Frew Paul Frew MLA has welcomed assurances from Education Minister Paul Givan that changes are planned to end the disadvantage currently faced by working families in the allocation of funded pre-school places, while warning that existing funding and capacity levels are still falling short of what families need. The North Antrim DUP representative said parents across his constituency continue to experience real difficulty securing funded pre-school

Ulster Unionist Party leader and North Antrim MLA Jon Burrows has warned that ending academic selection in Northern Ireland would undermine parental choice and distract from the real pressures facing schools, during a debate in the Assembly on Tuesday (3 January). Mr Burrows was speaking during consideration of a private members’ motion tabled by Sinn Féin South Down MLA Cathy Mason , which calls for a time-bound plan to end academic selection and transfer tests as part of p

Inset: Ulster Unionist Party leader and education spokesperson Jon Burrows MLA Ulster Unionist Party leader and education spokesperson Jon Burrows MLA has issued a stark warning over proposals contained within the Executive’s proposed Five-Year Education Budget Strategy, cautioning that cuts to classroom assistants and the use of unqualified substitute teachers would have devastating consequences for schools, staff and pupils across Northern Ireland. Responding to the public

Education Minister Paul Givan has unveiled a comprehensive package of measures in response to a recent Supreme Court judgment on Religious Education (RE) and collective worship in Northern Ireland schools. The announcement includes a full review of the Religious Education curriculum, the introduction of formal inspection arrangements for RE across all schools, and the publication of new guidance to strengthen and clarify the right of withdrawal for pupils and parents. While t

A talented local student is celebrating national recognition after her artwork claimed top honours at one of Ireland’s most prestigious youth art competitions. Ballymena Causeway Credit Union has marked a proud moment for the local community after Eimear McGuckien was crowned first place winner in the 11–13 Additional Needs category at the Credit Union Art Competition National Final, held at Croke Park in Dublin on Sunday. Eimear’s artwork progressed through the local and reg

Ulster Unionist education spokesperson Jon Burrows MLA As Northern Ireland begins to recover from the widespread disruption caused by Storm Chandra, renewed criticism has been levelled at the Department of Education over its handling of school closures during severe weather events. The storm brought significant challenges across the region, including power cuts, flooding and travel disruption, with more than 346 schools forced to close in response to weather warnings. In the

Onjali Q. Raúf at Slemish College (Images: Cindy Robinson Photography) Pupils at Slemish College in Ballymena have begun a special three-day programme with one of the UK’s most celebrated children’s authors, Onjali Q. Raúf , as her school visit got under way on Tuesday, 27 January. The award-winning writer and children’s rights activist is spending three days at the school, engaging pupils in conversations around storytelling, empathy and social change. During her visit, Onja

Buick Memorial Primary School, Cullybackey has received a £5,000 donation from Galgorm Collection. Pictured alongside pupils, Evie Speers, Phoebe Cangque, Kyle Chiyangwa, Zara Murray, Finlay Stewart and Jude Ferguson, are Colin Johnston, CEO Galgorm Collection and Principal Rikki Peters.  Two local primary schools in the Ballymena area are set to benefit from a £10,000 community donation from Galgorm Collection, reinforcing the hospitality group’s ongoing commitment to educat

Schools across Northern Ireland remain open for now as Storm Chandra approaches, with the Education Authority (EA) confirming that there are no current plans to issue general school closure notices, with amber and yellow weather warnings coming into force. The EA said the potential impacts on schools are being kept under review, as strong winds and the risk of flooding are forecast to affect parts of Northern Ireland tomorrow. The developing situation has already been discuss

Mayor of Mid and East Antrim, Councillor Jackson Minford pictured with a group of students participating in the Activate Your Curiosity event More than 400 young people from across Northern Ireland were given a hands-on insight into the world of science, technology, engineering, arts and maths (STEAM) as the flagship Activate Your Curiosity (AYC) event returned to Ballymena. The fourth AYC event took place at The Braid, Ballymena, on Tuesday 20 January, welcoming Year 10 stud

Around 700 senior pupils at St Louis Grammar School in Ballymena took part in a powerful and emotive road safety experience this month as the Ballymena Neighbourhood Police Team (NPT) attended the award-winning Roadsafe Roadshow. The event, held on Thursday, January 15, brought together the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS), the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service and a range of partner organisations to deliver a hard-h

Proposed south elevation of new sports pavilion A planning application has been submitted for the development of a new two-storey indoor sports pavilion within the grounds school in Ballymena, marking a significant investment in modern sporting facilities for pupils and the wider community. The proposal, lodged for Ballymena Academy on Galgorm Road, seeks full planning permission for a purpose-built sports facility designed to replace existing temporary modular buildings curr

Mrs O'Neill (Principal) and Declan Wright (Board of Governors) cut the ribbon to officially open the new Science Rooms along with Darragh Brennan (Head Boy) and Dearbhla O'Neill (Head Girl) St Louis Grammar School has officially opened two new purpose-built Science rooms, marking a significant investment in STEM education and the future opportunities of its pupils. The state-of-the-art facilities provide modern laboratories and flexible teaching spaces designed to support hig

Parents of 19 boys suspended from Lisburn’s Laurelhill Community College have called for an internal investigation using CCTV footage relating to alleged incidents at the school. The parents have also asked the Education Authority (EA) to step in directly, saying they are “defending our children” as fellow pupils come forward with eyewitness accounts of what took place. The male students were suspended for one day on January 9, following an assembly. The school principal rai

Pupils from Castle Tower School, Ballymena on an adventure of a lifetime to the ski slopes of Falgoria, Italy. Pupils from Castle Tower School have returned home with new skills, renewed confidence and memories that will last a lifetime following a memorable ski excursion to Italy. Last week, Castle Tower School joined a Core Kids group made up of Rosstulla, Ballycarricmaddy, Thornfield and Carnalridge for a ski trip to Falgoria, Italy. The experience marked a series of impor

A group of 19 boys have been suspended at a Co Antrim school, with parents making an official complaint about the principal’s actions amid concerns relating to “toxic masculinity”. An official complaint has now been made to the school’s board of governors by most of the parents regarding the disciplinary actions taken by the principal, who suspended the students following an alleged incident at a school assembly on January 8. The matter has come to light as the Education Auth