NEWS

Cullybackey College’s current school premises on Pottinger Street Ambitious plans to completely redevelop Cullybackey College with a new 700-pupil post-primary campus and major road upgrades have moved into the public consultation stage, marking a significant step forward for long-awaited improvements to education facilities and traffic infrastructure in the village. The proposal, centred on lands to the north, south and west of No. 41 Dreen Road and including No. 130 Dreen R

Car enthusiasts, families and local residents are being invited to gather in Broughshane this weekend as Kirkinriola Primary School PTA launches a community fundraising event aimed at helping fund new play and sports facilities for pupils. The Coffee & Cars event will take place on Saturday 18 April at Broughshane Community Centre, 21 Knockan Road, Broughshane, BT42 4JY , with organisers hoping to attract a wide range of vehicles and strong public support to raise money fo

The future of non-statutory pre-school provision in North Antrim has been thrust back into the spotlight after TUV MLA Timothy Gaston warned in the Northern Ireland Assembly that community playgroups could be forced to close their doors by September without urgent intervention from the Education Minister. Speaking on Monday (13 April) at Stormont, the North Antrim representative said the long-running issue surrounding pupil allocation numbers (PAN) for non-statutory settings

The Education Authority has confirmed that personal data linked to a small number of schools in Northern Ireland was compromised in a targeted cyber attack on the C2k school network, marking a major escalation in an incident that has already caused widespread disruption across the education system. The development emerged on Wednesday 15 April, just hours after detectives from the PSNI’s Cyber Crime Investigation Team arrested a 16-year-old boy in connection with the ongoing

A major conference aimed at reshaping how children with special educational needs are supported in classrooms across Northern Ireland will take place in Belfast this week, as the Education Authority pushes ahead with plans to move away from what it describes as a rigid “one size fits all” system. The keynote event, being held at the Balmoral Hotel, Belfast, on Thursday, April 16, forms a central part of the EA’s public consultation on its proposed Enhanced Support Model, a s

Ballymena Academy Year 11 pupils Samantha Dunlop and Katie McNeilly Two Ballymena Academy pupils have stepped into the fast-paced world of professional media and digital storytelling as they continue their journey as finalists in the 2026 ABP Angus Youth Challenge, combining science, agriculture and communications in a project with real-world relevance for Northern Ireland’s farming sector. Year 11 pupils Samantha Dunlop and Katie McNeilly are among the finalists in the prest

North Antrim MP Jim Allister and Cloughmills Early Years playgroup The growing dispute over nursery places in Cloughmills has now widened into a broader North Antrim row after MP Jim Allister accused the Education Authority of failing pre-school children across the constituency. In a sharply critical statement, Mr Allister said the EA’s “inflexible and dogma driven policy” is leaving children without suitable local places in communities including Cloughmills, Armoy and The

Schools across Northern Ireland are being urged to ensure their C2k accounts are fully reconnected before the start of the new school term, as the Education Authority (EA) moves to reduce ongoing disruption caused by last week’s cyber attack. In an update issued today, Thursday 9 April 2026, the EA warned that schools which do not complete the required reset process before classes resume are likely to face limited or no access to core C2k services at the start of the school d

Cloughmills Early Years, County Antrim Nine families in Cloughmills have been left without a place at the village’s only nursery setting, triggering growing anger among parents, staff and elected representatives who say children are being forced out of their own community despite space being available locally. The dispute centres on Cloughmills Early Years, the only local nursery provision serving the village outside Ballymena, where demand for places has outstripped the numb

Students from St Oliver Plunkett Primary School Toome are pictured on their recent tour of NI Water’s Moyola Water Treatment Works. With World Health Day fast approaching on Monday, 7 April, NI Water is once again opening the doors of its water treatment works to schools across Northern Ireland, offering pupils a rare opportunity to see first-hand the science and expertise that keeps the region’s drinking water safe. The initiative comes as this year’s global World Health Day

The Education Authority has confirmed that Northern Ireland’s C2k school system has been the target of a cyber attack, with access to the network currently unavailable following emergency action to contain the incident. The development is expected to affect schools, staff and pupils across Northern Ireland, with the authority acknowledging particular concern for students preparing for exams or completing coursework during the Easter period. In a statement issued on Friday, 3

Pictured: Northern Ireland Education Minister Paul Givan Serious weaknesses in school assessment data and a decade of disrupted inspections have left major blind spots in understanding the quality of education being delivered across Northern Ireland, according to a significant new watchdog report. The findings, published today by the Northern Ireland Audit Office, place fresh pressure on the Department of Education and reinforce calls for urgent reform across the school syste

TUV North Antrim MLA Timothy Gaston The political fallout over Northern Ireland’s special educational needs summer schemes deepened today after TUV MLA Timothy Gaston launched a blistering attack in the Assembly, accusing ministers and officials of failing some of the most vulnerable children in society. In a strongly worded address, the North Antrim MLA said the decision to cancel the schemes — before a subsequent reversal — was “not simply an administrative mis-step” but

It was a packed hall with 1000 guests attending EA’s Music Spring Gala hosted in partnership with Ulster University in the Diamond Hall at its Coleraine Campus. More than 500 young musicians from across north Antrim and mid Ulster have taken to the stage in a powerful celebration of music, community, and collaboration — marking a major milestone for youth music in the region. The EA Music Spring Gala 2026, held on Thursday 26 March at Ulster University’s Coleraine campus, bro

A new generation of young entrepreneurs has taken its first bold step into the world of business — selling products, pitching ideas, and impressing judges in a high-stakes, Dragons’ Den-style challenge in Ballymena. Primary school pupils from across Mid and East Antrim swapped classrooms for commerce as they launched their own mini companies, culminating in a lively trading event at the Fairhill Centre and a competitive pitch finale at The Braid. The initiative, part of the B

Pupils at Harryville Primary School, Ballymena learned how to look after their eyes during a visit from the team at Fitzsimons Opticians A Ballymena optician is taking eye care education straight into the classroom — with a clear goal: make eye tests feel normal, not frightening, for the next generation. Children as young as four at Harryville Primary School were given a hands-on introduction to eye health this week, as local optician John Broderick set out to “take the fear

A pioneering, youth-led programme giving Ballymena pupils real power over funding decisions has scooped a major all-Ireland award — and in doing so, showcased a new model of democracy in action. The Ballymena Schools Participatory Budgeting (PB) Programme was named winner of the Community Champions Award at the Chartered Institute of Housing All-Ireland Housing Awards in Belfast on Friday evening, recognising its transformative impact on young people and local communities. A

Ulster Unionist Party leader and education spokesperson Jon Burrows MLA Summer schemes for children with special educational needs will now go ahead — a dramatic turnaround following days of uncertainty that left families fearing vital support had been lost. The confirmation, welcomed by Ulster Unionist Party leader and education spokesperson Jon Burrows MLA , follows intense political pressure and urgent engagement between the Departments of Education and Health. For familie

Northern Ireland’s Education Minister Paul Givan, and Health Minister Mike Nesbitt Families of children with special educational needs have been handed renewed hope after Stormont ministers stepped in over the controversial cancellation of summer schemes. Education Minister Paul Givan has called for urgent engagement to restore provision, while Health Minister Mike Nesbitt has now voiced “extreme concern” — ordering officials to explore how schemes could still go ahead. The

Ulster Unionist Party Leader and Education spokesperson Jon Burrows MLA Fresh pressure is mounting on the Education Authority after the Ulster Unionist Party warned the cancellation of special school summer schemes raises “serious questions” — including whether the decision was justified at all. Ulster Unionist Party Leader and Education spokesperson Jon Burrows MLA has criticised the move by the Education Authority (EA), describing it as “deeply alarming” for children a