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Belfast and Holywood schools to hear about changes John O'Dowd outlines Belfast and Holywood school changes
(about 5 hours later)
Seven secondary schools in Belfast and Holywood will find out later if they will face major changes, including possible closure. The education minister has announced his plans for seven secondary schools in Belfast and Holywood.
Some of them could be expanded to cater for pupils left without places. John O'Dowd said Dundonald High, which had been facing closure, would remain open while Orangefield High will close.
The schools facing closure are Dundonald High and Orangefield High in east Belfast. Knockbreda and Newtownbreda schools will merge in September.
Dundonald has 247 pupils and is in formal intervention because of its performance, however there is strong local opposition to the closure. A proposal to create extra space for pupils at Ashfield Boys and Ashfield Girls schools has been rejected, but Priory College in Holywood will be allowed to expand slightly.
Orangefield was due to close last year but that was postponed when it was realised that other schools needed to expand to take in the pupils left without a school. The department of education had been considering the fates of seven schools
The east Belfast school did not accept any new pupils last year and has only 80 children currently on its rolls. Dundonald High School has low numbers, 247 pupils, and had been in formal intervention to improve its performance, but there had been a campaign against the proposal to close it.
There is also a proposal to merge Knockbreda and Newtownbreda schools and replace them with a campus for 1,000 pupils. That lobbying and local support has convinced the minister to give the school another chance.
That too was opposed by those who responded to consultation. A programme of extra support and training will be put in place to help the principal, staff and a new board of governors.
The department of education has been considering the fates of seven schools in all and three could be enlarged: Ashfield Girls and Boys and Priory Integrated college in Holywood. The six proposals for seven schools in the area are inter-related and Mr O'Dowd took into account the knock-on effect of any decisions he made.
By 2018, Ashfield Boys, which currently has 666 pupils, would be allowed to enrol 850 Ashfield girls now has 708 pupils and would be permitted to take in 900. A plan to create extra space for pupils at Ashfield Boys and Ashfield Girls schools has been rejected in case that would damage the prospects for Dundonald and other schools in the area.
Priory college teaches 500 pupils and the proposal is to raise that number to 600. Expansion
The decisions are in the hands of Education Minister John O'Dowd and the results will be announced later on Tuesday. Ashfield Boys, which currently has 666 pupils, had wanted to increase its pupil numbers to 850 by 2018, while Ashfield girls, which now has 708 pupils, had wanted to raise its intake to 900.
However, Priory College in Holywood, which has 500 pupils, has been given the go-ahead to expand expand slightly, but not to the 600 pupil size which had been proposed.
A merger of two other controlled secondary's in the area, Knockbreda and Newtownbreda, has been approved and will happen in September this year.
The amalgamated school will operate on a split site with the eventual aim of a new school building.
Orangefield High School has only 80 pupils and its closure will go ahead in August this year.