Breaking News: Plans have been submitted to the Education Authority (EA) by the CCMS to develop a new co-educational, post-primary, Catholic education school in Downpatrick.
Following on from the High Court decision on Wednesday 25th November which rejected the case of the Board of Governors of St Patrick’s Grammar School in Downpatrick against its own Trustees, the Downpatrick Post Primary Project Board comprised of the La Salle Congregation, the Council for Catholic Maintained Schools (CCMS) and the school trustees have progressed with the next step in the merger of the post-primary Catholic schools in Downpatrick.
The Project Board has moved quickly and within days has submitted a development proposal to the Education Authority for scrutiny for a new school in the County Town of Down.
It is expected that progress on the merger will be made and that the new co-education school could be open by the 1st September 2021.
The new school system will probably run over the three sites of St Patrick’s Grammar School, St Mary’s High School and the De La Salle High School accommodating up to 1600 pupils.
There may be up to 250 pupils in the intake initially and of these, 40% are thought to be selected academically.
In the meantime, Dr Aidan Hamill, Chair of the St Patrick’s Grammar School Board of Governors has said the Board will resist the court decision going forward despite the judgement coming out strongly in favour of the Project Board grouping.
