Expanded Ardnashee campus to meet needs of growing enrolment a departmental priority, says Givan

Work on the £34m state-of-the-art school on the Northland Road in Derry is now nearing completion.

However, Sinn Féin MLA Pádraig Delargy asked the minister, for an update on the new build pointing out that it is ‘already too small for the school's current enrolment’.

Mr. Givan replied: “I have been to Ardnashee. The work that is taking place in the Member's constituency is hugely impressive.

"We looked at the capital needs of special schools, and it was announced that Ardnashee would be developed in order to extend the site, because, as soon as the school opened, it was no longer capable of meeting the need.

"I therefore decided that Ardnashee required a new build to be built beside the existing school. That work is ongoing. It is a priority scheme for the Department.”

Mr. Delargy asked the minister to provide a time frame for the work.

The Education Minister was unable to provide a timeline but stated: “I recognised that Ardnashee needed to get the go-ahead to allow work to start, so, in advance of the assessment's being completed, I approved Ardnashee, as I did Knockevin School, where work continues to try to identify a site.

"They have been prioritised in the EA's operational plan for children with special educational needs. That is where the priority capital spend has been going.”