Construction work starts at Coleraine Grammar School thanks to £11.5million investment to get over 1,000 pupils educated together

Construction work is underway at Coleraine Grammar School following approval of an over £11.5m investment from the Department of Education.

This investment will see the creation of new buildings and facilities which will enable the whole school to be situated on a single site on the Castlerock Road for the first time from September 2024.

Renovation works at the school’s Castlerock Road site include the construction of a new building to house the home economics and music departments as well as excellent study and social facilities for sixth form pupils. The significant construction project will enable a reconfiguration of the school estate and see the school’s over 1,000 pupils educated together on the same campus for the first time since its establishment in 2015, following the merger of Coleraine Academical Institution and Coleraine High School.

Alongside this investment from the Department the school is also undertaking an ambitious fundraising drive to deliver much needed sporting facilities including the development of a multi-purpose astroturf hockey pitch at the school.

Welcoming the investment and the beginning of the construction phase, Dr David Carruthers, school principal, said: “Having all pupils and staff based at one site has been a long-term goal since the school was established in 2015 following the merger of two of Coleraine’s best-known schools.

"We are delighted to have secured this significant investment from the Department and would like to thank them for their support for our plans. This will now enable us to reach that milestone, and we aim to have all pupils educated at the same site by the target of the 2024 academic year. Works have commenced to ensure as much construction as possible can be completed over the summer holidays and minimise term time disruption.”

The separate fundraising campaign by the school to raise £1m to finance the installation of upgraded sports facilities recently passed the halfway mark. The new school term will see the launch of a series of activities as the school embarks on a final push to raise the remainder of the target.

Dr Carruthers added: “Funding for sports facilities is not covered in the latest investment package, and given the importance attached to sports and physical education within our school we have had to think creatively to raise funds for a new multi-purpose astroturf hockey pitch and associated works at the school.

"Thanks to the generosity of parents, sponsors, and other friends of the school we are already halfway to our fundraising target. As school resumes next term, we will be launching a campaign of exciting events to take us over the line and enable the new sporting facilities to be built and ready to be used alongside the other new buildings by September 2024.”