History of Kilrea Primary
Photograph of the old school building.
The original school on the site was built by the Mercers' Company in 1867. The present day buildings are on a high bank overlooking the site of the old schools on Old Row. The buildings were of architectural beauty with ornamental tower.
Since the schools were 'non-vested', there was no committee responsible for their maintenance after the Mercers' Company sold the estate in 1905. The buildings were neglected and eventually demolished.
Photograph of the present school building.
The present school buildings opened in 1957. In 1964 Mr McCarter became principal and at the highest enrolment there was a staff of six and approximately one hundred and forty pupils. He retired in 1989, having completed twenty-five years of dedicated services. Mrs Morrison was principal between 1989 and 2008 and gave leadership through the challenges of delegated budgets and the advent of the Northern Ireland Curriculum.
Today we are a stable unit in terms of number, which are currently in the 90-100 range with a teaching staff of five and classroom assistants. While regarded in educational terms as a small school we are able to offer a wide range of teaching expertise and extra curricular activities, yet able to treat children as individuals. The current principal is Mrs Stinson who took up the position in September 2008.
We are a controlled school catering for both boys and girls between the ages of four and eleven years of age.
More information
- Kilrea on Wikipedia