Go-ahead given for work to commence on new school in Ballina

The Department of Education and Science has given the go-ahead for the appointment of a contractor for the brand new campus at St. Mary's Secondary School, Ballina.

This new school will be the first of a new model of school in Ireland designed to meet the demands of new modes of learning.

The design is based on the updated, re-configured and improved DoES classroom layouts and Schedule of Accommodation, and will achieve enhanced flexibility and innovation in the use of space.

St. Mary’s Secondary School will probably be the first new school building to be built by the department with these enhanced specifications.

The design of these learning spaces drives and facilitates improved teaching through improved proximity, communication and sightlines between student and teacher. They also allow for shallow classrooms with better daylight and ventilation, layouts for improved accessibility, and greater flexibility.

The site for the proposed new secondary school is a hilly greenfield site at Convent Hill, immediately north of the existing St. Mary’s School, convent and adjacent schools.

The site measures at approximately 5.6 ha and has been assembled from a large parcel of undeveloped land given by the Sisters of Mercy, to which they have added several subsequent parcels. This has been complemented by the securing of site access from the Sli Ectra road through the purchase and swap of lands facilitated by the Sisters. A secondary cyclist and pedestrian access is made possible from the south via land transfer by the Sisters of a disused lane and adjacent land, connecting the school with McDermott Street, from which all the other schools are accessed.

The adjacent playing pitch will also be transferred as part of the new school site to St. Mary's Secondary School. It is hoped that this pitch will be used as a community pitch between both the primary (Scoil Iosa), post primary school and also the community into the future

The proposed St. Mary’s Secondary School will be a significant new public building for Ballina town and its wider community. Its position on the top of the Convent Hill continues the tradition of fine school buildings along McDermott Street. Its scale and size has been carefully considered and designed to ensure that it is appropriate to the surrounding area of Ballina and sensitive to its immediate context.

The proposed school has been designed as a courtyard building, composed of the classrooms organised over two levels in an L-shaped block and the shared spaces of GP hall, multi-use hall and sports facilities on ground level, wrapping around the courtyard on three sides. The external courtyard is open to the east, providing spectacular views of the Ox Mountains.

The building provides protection from the prevailing winds and creates a sunny and sheltered micro climate, encouraging pupils to spill out and gather for lunchtime socialising. The covered walkway also assists in providing protection from the elements during periods of inclement weather, in addition to accommodating an array of photovoltaic panels which help power the school.

Space for recreational and sports will be provided for within the school site to help to support an effective learning and development environment for children. Together with the aforementioned central courtyard at the heart of the school, four hard play courts and a football pitch form part of the new development. The landscape proposal for the site also includes for an external performance space and nature walk towards the east of the site.

It is also proposed to utilise the grounds as an educational resource where students can participate in ecology‐based activities that can feed into the curriculum. The choice of native trees for the school’s grounds presents the opportunity for the landscape to be utilised in this regard. The benefits these species offer in terms of their ecology and with regard to the number of species they support feeds in to a number of subjects across the curriculum such as science, geography, art, biology and home economics.

The educational dimension to the landscape design works in parallel with the functional and amenity dimensions will deliver a positive contribution as part of a holistic approach to the overall design of the school.

Welcoming today's announcement, Deputy Dara Calleary said: “The new campus will be one of the finest and most modern school campuses in Ireland, absolutely fitting for one of the finest and most excellent schools in Ireland.

“It has been a long road but well done to everyone at St. Mary's – principal Robert O'Reilly, all the staff and the students, the board of management and parents' association. I’d particularly like to acknowledge the work of former principal Patsy Sweeney and the students, boards of management, staff and parents who worked hard on this project and who never gave up despite many setbacks. My former colleague Michelle Mulherin put in huge work to move this project on also.

“Without the the vocation and dedication of generations of Sisters of Mercy there would be no St Mary's today – we thank them and think of them.

“This is a major building project which will result in additional spending in Ballina. Good luck and safe work to all who will work on it and to all who will be lucky enough to go to school there in the coming years.”