Education Minister has set out plans to allow
pupils of Nazareth House Primary School to return to face-to-face
learning from 7 January 2026.
said: “The temporary closure of
Nazareth House Primary School was necessary to ensure the health
and safety of the pupils, staff and parents. I share the
understandable frustrations of the school's principal, Róisín
Blackery and the wider school community. Years of
underinvestment in our ageing school estate have left us facing
difficult decisions and in this case, the only option was to
temporarily close the school.”
The Minister confirmed that, following intensive work with the
school leadership, the Council for Catholic Maintained
Schools and the Education Authority, a contingency plan has
been agreed. He continued: “I have spoken to Mrs Blackery and
conveyed my thanks to her and her staff for their efforts to
minimise the disruption for pupils. It has been agreed that from
7 January, pupils and staff of Nazareth House Primary School,
including the nursery, will share a site with St Anne's Primary
School.
“These temporary arrangements will remain in place while urgent
remedial works are carried out to make the roof of the main
school building safe, with the aim of allowing the whole Nazareth
House school community to return to learning on their own site by
half-term break in February 2026.
“I want to record my thanks to the Principal and Board of
Governors of St Anne's Primary School for making their facilities
available to the Nazareth House Primary School community in these
emergency circumstances. I also want to acknowledge the efforts
of Bishop Street Community Centre for hosting pupils during the
pre-Christmas period.”
Confirming that planning for longer-term repairs is already
underway said: “In parallel with the
temporary contingency arrangements and the remedial works, my
Department has commenced planning for the more extensive roofing
works, which will be prioritised for delivery.
“The experience of the Nazareth House school community brings
into sharp focus the critical and long-standing issues of school
infrastructure and funding. I remain committed to improving the
condition of our school estate and have called for urgent,
cross-party support to secure the investment needed to ensure
that every child in Northern Ireland is educated in a safe,
modern and inclusive environment. The current situation cannot
continue.”
