NEWS

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

Ant & Dec, hosts of ITV’s Limitless Win An associate principal from Ballymena is set to take centre stage on national television this weekend as David Radcliffe of Gracehill Primary School appears on the latest series of Ant & Dec’s Limitless Win, ITV’s flagship primetime quiz show. Hosted by Britain’s best-loved presenting duo Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly, the hit entertainment format returns for a fifth series, promising higher stakes, bigger risks and the chance for c

Parents across Northern Ireland have welcomed a move by the Department of Education to formally endorse the Parent Pact, a voluntary initiative encouraging families to delay giving children a smartphone until at least the age of 14. The Department has written to all school principals in Northern Ireland to raise awareness of the Parent Pact, developed by Smartphone Free Childhood, a grassroots parents’ movement representing more than 350,000 families across the UK. Launched i

Applications for pre-school and Primary One (P1) places for children starting education in September 2026 have officially opened through the Education Authority’s (EA) online EA Connect portal. More than 40,000 applications are expected across Northern Ireland for the incoming academic year, making this one of the most significant annual processes for families preparing children for their first step into formal education. Parents and guardians have until 12 noon on Tuesday, 2

Parents of around 3,000 children across Northern Ireland have joined forces to delay giving their children smartphones until at least the end of Year 10, amid growing concerns about the impact of early smartphone use on mental health, wellbeing and childhood development. The families are among a rapidly growing number signing up to the Smartphone Free Childhood Parent Pact, a digital tool launched by the grassroots movement Smartphone Free Childhood (SFC) , which now counts a

Mrs McCloskey's classroom celebrating with Papa Elf. Festive cheer was delivered in style at Ballycastle Integrated Primary School after its Primary One class was named the winner of the Fibrus ‘Christmas Classroom’ competition. Local Full Fibre broadband provider Fibrus surprised pupils when Papa Elf and the Fibrus Tinsel Team arrived at their classroom bearing a sack filled with presents for every child. Papa Elf, a familiar festive figure who has brought Christmas cheer

Castle Tower School in Ballymena has been confirmed among successful applicants for the Department of Education’s RAISE Programme. Ballymena projects have been placed firmly in the spotlight after Education Minister Paul Givan announced more than £3.7 million in funding to support Locality Led Projects under the RAISE Programme across Northern Ireland. A total of 61 projects have been selected to move forward to the next stage of the programme, which aims to raise educational

Laura Harbard taking part from the comfort of indoors Eleanor Bentall (RSPB Images) Hundreds of thousands of people across the UK are being encouraged to take part in the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch 2026, as the world’s largest garden wildlife survey returns at a critical time for nature. Taking place from Friday 23 to Sunday 25 January 2026 , the annual Birdwatch invites people to spend just one hour observing and counting the birds they see in their garden, local green space,

The Education Authority (EA) has issued further safety advice to schools across Northern Ireland today as Storm Bram continues to intensify, bringing hazardous winds and an upgraded amber weather warning to parts of the region. A spokesperson for the EA said: “All schools are advised to keep pupils indoors throughout the day and, if practical, to cancel after school activities.” Schools are also being encouraged to take a flexible approach to dismissal times due to the deteri

The Education Authority (EA) has confirmed that there are no plans for general school closures today despite the escalating weather situation as Storm Bram moves across Northern Ireland. A spokesperson for the EA said: “Following the escalation of the Storm Bram warning this morning, the Education Authority has discussed the situation with the Department. At this stage, it is not planned to issue general school closure notices.” “Instead, school principals are being encourag

Slemish College Students Scarlet Kerr-McKillop and Darragh Martin Two Slemish College students, Scarlet Kerr-McKillop and Darragh Martin , were among the young people given the chance to step inside NI Water’s laboratories as the utility company kicked off the second year of its hybrid work experience programme. The pair joined aspiring scientists from across Northern Ireland for an immersive mix of virtual and in-person learning designed to give students aged 16 to 19 real-w

BBC Northern Ireland and the Council for the Curriculum, Examinations & Assessment (CCEA) have teamed up to give pupils across Northern Ireland easier access to GCSE past papers through BBC Bitesize — marking a significant step forward in digital learning support. From Tuesday 2 December, GCSE learners can access past papers and mark schemes for six major subjects directly through BBC Bitesize. This is the first time that GCSE past papers have been made available via the plat

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