NEWS

3D Aerial views of proposed new campus for Cullybackey College, outside Ballymena Cullybackey could be set for one of its biggest education and infrastructure transformations in decades under ambitious plans for a brand-new 700-pupil college campus, major new sports facilities and sweeping road upgrades aimed at tackling long-standing traffic problems around the village. The multi-million-pound proposals for Cullybackey College have now officially entered public consultation,

Almost 2,500 teachers and classroom assistants across Northern Ireland were injured or assaulted by pupils in the space of a single year, according to figures released by the Education Authority. The scale of the violence was laid bare after Ulster Unionist Party Leader Jon Burrows raised the issue in the Assembly, warning that attacks on school staff have become a “taboo issue” that too many people are unwilling to confront. Newly released figures show 598 teachers and 1,974

Police have launched a malicious communications investigation after threatening emails sent to schools and businesses across County Antrim caused widespread disruption and alarm on Tuesday. The PSNI confirmed six schools were affected in areas including Randalstown, Ballycraigy and Antrim town, while multiple businesses also received the email — the majority in Antrim, with one business impacted in the Ballycastle area. Detectives are now examining whether the incident is lin

Police investigating threatening emails sent to schools and businesses across County Antrim say the messages are “not believed to be a credible threat at this time” following enquiries carried out throughout Tuesday. The update from the PSNI came after widespread concern earlier in the day when reports emerged that multiple schools and businesses had received emails referencing knife and bomb threats. Officers confirmed reassurance patrols were carried out across affected are

Inset: North Antrim MP Jim Allister North Antrim MP Jim Allister has condemned what he described as “sinister emails” threatening knife and bomb attacks on schools in the County Antrim area, warning that those responsible must be “dealt with robustly”. The comments came after police confirmed they were investigating an email sent to multiple schools and businesses on Tuesday 19th May, prompting increased patrols and widespread concern among parents, teachers and local communi

Police have launched an investigation after multiple schools and businesses across County Antrim received a concerning email on Tuesday morning, prompting increased patrols and urgent enquiries by officers. The PSNI confirmed on Tuesday 19th May that the email had been distributed to a number of locations in the area, sparking concern among parents, staff, businesses and local communities. Officers are now working to establish the origin and intent behind the message while li

St Louis Grammar School in Ballymena has been ranked the top-performing school in Northern Ireland for A-Level results after achieving an extraordinary 98% rate of pupils securing three or more A-Level passes at grades A*-C. The achievement places the Ballymena school at number one in the Belfast Telegraph’s latest league table rankings for 2025, marking a major moment not only for the school community but for education in the wider North Antrim area. It comes amid growing pr

Pupils form Cambridge House Grammar School try their hand at cupcake decorating under the guidance of chef, Sandra McCooke as the Mayor of Mid and East Antrim Borough Council, Councillor Jackson Minford and Colin Johnston, CEO of Galgorm Collection look on. Forty local pupils have been given a behind-the-scenes look at careers in hospitality and tourism as part of a growing Mid and East Antrim programme designed to connect classroom learning with real workplace opportunities.

Education Minister Paul Givan is pictured with Principal Malachy Conlon, Vice Principal Lauren McLoughlin and the youngest pupils at St Mary’s Queen of Peace Primary School Construction has officially begun on the long-awaited new building for Mary Queen of Peace Primary School in Glenravel, marking a major milestone for a community that has spent more than a decade waiting for the project to become reality. The £10million investment will deliver a modern nine-classroom schoo

The Mayor of Antrim and Newtownabbey, Councillor Leah Kirkpatrick made a special visit to Creavery Primary School where children from the school and Creggan Primary School took part in a fun Healthy Kids session. Children from two primary schools came together for an energetic Healthy Kids session this week as Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council confirmed the programme has now reached more than 30 schools across the borough. The Mayor of Antrim and Newtownabbey, Councillo

Young people across Northern Ireland are being warned that vaping to cope with exam pressure could actually make stress, anxiety and concentration problems worse, as concerns grow around rising mental health pressures among teenagers. Drug and alcohol harm reduction charity ASCERT says increasing numbers of young people may be turning to nicotine products during revision and exam season in an attempt to manage anxiety, tiredness and school-related stress. The warning comes as

The Education Authority has launched a new leadership support programme aimed at strengthening specialist special educational needs (SEN) provision in mainstream schools across Northern Ireland, as pressure continues to grow on education services supporting children with additional needs. The new initiative comes after more than 6,000 additional SEN places have been created since 2020, reflecting what EA described as rapidly changing educational needs among pupils and increas

Education Minister pictured at the TransformED One Year On School Leaders’ Conference in Ballymena with (l to r), Garry Matthewson, Daniel T. Willingham, Hardip Begol CBE, Christine Counsell OBE, Carl Hendrick, Noeleen Tiffney, Alistair Hamill and Dr Harold Hislop. Education Minister Paul Givan has declared Northern Ireland’s sweeping TransformED education reform programme is now entering its “most critical phase” as more than 1,500 school leaders, teachers and international

The Children’s Law Centre CEO John O'Doherty, alongside Rachel Hogan BL, SEND Specialist Legal Adviser and Kathryn Stevenson, Head of Legal, pictured at Parliament Buildings after presenting to the education committee on the proposed SEN Regs. The Children’s Law Centre has warned Stormont’s Education Committee that proposed new SEND regulations could weaken legal protections for vulnerable children, reduce the role of parents in decision-making and leave parts of the new fram

Autism diagnoses among school-age children in Northern Ireland have reached their highest recorded level, with new figures revealing 18,472 pupils are now identified as autistic — while politicians and families warn support systems are becoming overwhelmed. The latest annual prevalence report published by the Department of Health shows autism prevalence among school-age children rose to 6.2% during the 2025/26 school year. That represents an increase of 0.3 percentage points

Families across Northern Ireland waiting for confirmation of school places for children with special educational needs are being offered direct one-to-one support through a new series of online drop-in sessions hosted by the Education Authority. The initiative comes amid growing pressure on the region’s SEN system, with demand for specialist placements continuing to rise sharply and thousands of additional places projected to be needed over the next decade. Parents and carers

School leaders listening to presentations from staff and students Ballyclare Secondary School has opened its doors to school leaders from across Northern Ireland to demonstrate what life looks like without mobile phones during the school day — and staff say the results have been “remarkable”. The County Antrim school has been operating a phone-free system since August 2025 using lockable Yondr pouches, becoming one of the first schools in the area to adopt the approach amid g

Mr Stephen Black One of Northern Ireland’s best-known school principals is set to leave his post at Ballymena Academy later this year after accepting a new position within the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU). Mr Stephen Black will step down as Principal of Ballymena Academy on 31 August 2026, bringing to an end a 12-year leadership period which saw the school maintain strong academic performance while further developing its sporting and co-curricular reputation. The announc

More than 650 schools and pre-school settings across Northern Ireland are now involved in Shared Education partnerships — yet the number of children actually taking part has fallen by more than 9,000, according to a major new report laid before the Assembly. The fifth statutory report on Advancing Shared Education, published today (Monday 11 May) by Education Minister Paul Givan, reveals a striking contradiction at the heart of Northern Ireland’s shared learning strategy: par

Students from Sead the Season at Cullybackey College celebrating being named ‘Company of the Year’ at the annual Young Enterprise NI Awards held in Belfast City Hall. Students from Cullybackey College have secured one of Northern Ireland’s top young enterprise honours after their student-run business was crowned ‘Company of the Year’ at a major awards ceremony in Belfast. The team behind Seed the Season impressed judges with a sustainability-focused business supplying seasona