Northern Ireland

Downpatrick schools merger to progress to next step after High Court case dismissed

St Patrick's Grammar School, Downpatrick
St Patrick's Grammar School, Downpatrick St Patrick's Grammar School, Downpatrick

PLANS to merge three Catholic schools in Co Down will progress in the new year after a High Court challenge was defeated.

It is proposed that a new 1,600 pupil co-educational school could open by September 2021.

The amalgamation involves St Patrick's Grammar School, De La Salle High School and St Mary's High School in Downpatrick.

Governors, staff, parents and pupils at St Patrick's have expressed strong opposition.

A judicial review against the merger was dismissed last week.

The new school will retain academic selection for up to 40 per cent of children for whom it is not their nearest Catholic post-primary.

The Council for Catholic Maintained Schools (CCMS) and De La Salle Congregation said they welcomed the court ruling.

They said the objective remained to create a new co-educational post-primary school.

"It is proposed that the school would have a vision and ethos of inclusion and educational excellence in keeping with the tradition espoused by the Catholic family of schools. The proposal offers the potential for all children from a family to be educated together at post-primary level, similar to their experience at primary school in the area," they said in a statement.

"The De La Salle Congregation and CCMS will now progress their joint proposal to the Education Authority to commence the public consultation in early 2021. The public consultation process allows the wider public to comment on the proposal for a new school before the minister of education makes his decision on the matter."