Portadown Integrated Primary

Portadown Integrated Primary is a primary school which opened in Portadown, Northern Ireland in 1990.

When first opened the school was housed in portable cabins in Chambers Park, home of Portadown RFC. Initially it had a small number of pupils, around 20-30, and lunch was held in the rugby changing rooms. The first head teacher was Mrs Kathy Magee. After growing quite rapidly, it moved to a new semi-permanent building in 1992 in Kernan. There are currently 223 pupils enrolled, and the current head teacher is Mr Feargal Magee.

It was one of the first primary schools in the Portadown area that openly educated children from Roman Catholic and Protestant communities together. Education in Northern Ireland was and is still heavily segregated. Integrated Education seeks to encourage an end to religious segregation, and understanding between differing communities.Portadown integrated primary school has grown from strength to strength since its opening, It is now a very well known primary school in the lively town of Portadown and is very much respected by many people.

History of the school

In November 1989 a group of Protestant and Catholic parents who had been meeting under the auspices of the North Armagh Group for Integrated Education (NAGIE) resolved to form a committee with the aim of establishing an integrated primary and nursery school in Portadown. The decision was inspired by the belief that Catholic, Protestant and those of other faiths and beliefs should have the opportunity of being educated together on a basis of equality, mutual respect and understanding. The school officially opened on 3rd September 1990 with 22 primary pupils and 20 nursery pupils. The school was opened by the NAGIE and supported by The Northern Ireland Council for Integrated Education. According to [http://www.cain.ulster.ac.uk/csc/reports/fraser99.htm 'In the Frame'] it was a grant maintained integrated primary school, which means it comes under the direct authority of the Department of Education for Northern Ireland (DENI), though for the first few years it was not directly funded by any education authority.

Location

Kernan Road,Portadown,Co. Armagh,BT63 5RR.

See also

*Education in Northern Ireland
*Integrated Education
*List of Integrated Schools in Northern Ireland

External links

* [http://www.pipsonline.org.uk Portadown Integrated Primary School online - School Website September 2007]
* [http://www.killicomaine.co.uk/primary/pips/ Portadown Integrated Primary School - Old Website]
* [http://www.nicie.org/schools/schools_details.asp?id=37 NICIE page on PIPS]