Causeway Academy: Pupils 'appear to be forgotten' in merger of three colleges

Pupils “appear to have been forgotten” within the merger course of at three post-primary colleges on the north coast of Northern Ireland.

That's in response to Dunluce School governors, who’ve stepped down from the interim board of Causeway Academy saying there was a “complete misunderstanding” of the college administration by these main the mission.

Causeway Academy is a brand new built-in faculty opening in September 2026, having merged three current colleges in Coleraine and Bushmills – Coleraine College, North Coast Integrated College and Dunluce School.

But when the academy opens it’ll function on three current faculty websites – with the schooling authority saying the method was “pupil-centred”.

It says the three-site mannequin is meant to “reduce mobility for students throughout their post-primary school careers”.

Dunluce School is in Bushmills, County Antrim, whereas the opposite two are about eight miles aside in Coleraine, County Londonderry.

East Londonderry SDLP meeting member Cara Hunter stated “the three schools in the heart of Causeway Academy have been thrown into complete disarray”.

“We have no clarity on the future site for Causeway Academy and how the merger will work going forward,” he advised BBC News NI.

Originally it was advised that there could be a brand new faculty for the Causeway Academy Built on the Coleraine campus of the University of Ulster,

But, as no new colleges have but been constructed, the academy is about to function on three separate websites, that means pupils will probably be educated at one of many current colleges in numerous years.

This has raised considerations about how the brand new faculty will truly function.

one in Previous session on faculty planningMany dad and mom stated this had lowered parental alternative and have been involved that merging the three colleges and not using a new single faculty constructing would trigger disruption for pupils.

In their letter to the Education Authority (EA), which was additionally posted on social media, the 5 Dunluce governors stated there was “a complete misunderstanding about governance within a school by the people leading the project”.

He additionally stated there needs to be an unbiased oversight working with the interim board of governors, who shouldn’t be appointed by the schooling authority and needs to be with the consent of all.

This particular person or group will “oversee and ensure that the final months of preparation for the Causeway Academy are effective, robust and appropriate with the aim of providing the best for those children who have been forgotten in the process”.

Claire Sugden, who sits as an unbiased member within the Northern Ireland Assembly, stated the Department for Education ought to take duty for the continuing uncertainty surrounding the college following the resignation of board members.

“The resignations are disappointing but not unexpected given the Department's continued lack of clarity about the future of the school,” the East Londonderry Assembly member stated.

“The interim board has done a tremendous job in getting Causeway Academy to this point, and they deserve real credit for that.

“His leadership through the integration has been vital, but he is trying to move forward without the direction or reassurance that should have come from the department.”

Ms Sugden stated households and employees have been left “unsettled” because it seems college students will stay at three websites for the foreseeable future.

“The department's indecision has created real challenges for those trying to run this new school,” he stated.

“People need to know what the long-term plan is, where the school will be located and when that will happen.”

Meanwhile, SDLP meeting member Cara Hunter stated the resignations confirmed “how serious this situation has become”.

He stated Education Minister Paul Givhan ought to intervene to “restore confidence, protect the vision of an inclusive, integrated Causeway Academy and provide clarity before this situation worsens further”.

In a press release, an EA spokesperson stated they’d reply to the governors' letter in the end.

“Causeway Academy will open in September 2026 across three existing sites, with each campus serving different student numbers,” he stated.

“This approach is student-centred with the aim of reducing movement for students during their post-primary school careers.”

The spokesperson stated this could “maximize the educational experience for all students, while allowing exam year groups to complete their education at their current sites”.

Acknowledging that the “process of change” might result in variations, he stated the EA would work with stakeholders to “improve sustainable education through amalgamation”.

It additionally stated the interim principal was working with the interim board, present faculty ideas and the EA to make sure every thing was in place for pupils and employees earlier than the college opened.

The Department for Education referred BBC News NI to solutions that Education Minister Paul Givhan gave to Stormont's schooling committee on 22 October.

Givhan advised Assembly members on the committee that “the three-site model is one that is likely to continue”.

“Ideally you would want a single site,” Given stated.

But he stated it could price greater than £20m, “and there is not £20m available in the department's capital budget to do this”.

“In my view it is not acceptable that this is where we have these three schools still operating within their sites.

“I don't believe this is an outcome that is best.

“However, this is also the reality of the situation we have to deal with.”