Ardnashee School and College staff (from left) Christine Eaton (teacher), Donna Cartin (vice principal), Alison Henderson (learning assistant) and Christina McCallion (teacher).
Ardnashee School and College – the amalgamation of Belmont House School and Foyle View School in Derry – has opened its doors.
Over 260 pupils will attend the school which will provide an educational experience for pupils aged three to 7.
The school will operate as a single school split over two sites – Upper Campus (former Belmont House School) and Lower Campus (former Foyle View School) Newly.
Its was decided on by the pupils, parents and staff through text voting and is representative of the townland in which the school sits.
Principal Dr Michael Dobbins said the vision for Ardnashee School and College said he looked forward to meeting all the pupils and their parents in the year ahead.
Principal Dr Michael Dobbins.
He added: “Ardnashee School and College builds on the excellent reputation of our city’s two special schools and signposts a new era for special education locally where the additional needs of all children and young people can be successfully met.
In preparation for the opening of the newly amalgamated Ardnashee School and College a joint staff development day took place at the end of last month to enable all staff from Foyle View School and Belmont House School to participate in shared professional development.
Barry Mulholland, chief executive, Western Education and Library Board (WELB), said the amalgamation marked another “important stage” in taking forward the WELB’s inclusive vision for meeting the future needs of pupils in the greater Derry area with a wide variety of “special educational needs within a single, dynamic and inclusive school, thus ensuring that every young person achieves his/her potential at each stage of their development.”
Ardnashee School and College staff (from left) Jacqueline McCloskey, Alison January and Rosemary Duffy (learning assistants) with John O’Kane and Dan Burn (teachers).
