Education Minister celebrated a major milestone at
the Strule Shared Education Campus (SSEC) today as the main
structural works onsite are now complete.
Principals from the six Strule schools, project partners and
community stakeholders attended a ‘topping out ceremony' to mark
the progress made on the most significant shared education
project being delivered in Northern Ireland.
The Strule campus will bring together six schools on the former
Lisanelly Army Barracks site in Omagh. It will provide
state‑of‑the‑art, shared facilities to support teaching and
learning, sports and other educational activities, while
preserving the individual ethos and identity of each school. When
complete, the campus will support collaboration, reconciliation
and shared education for around four thousand young people.
Construction at the Strule Shared Education Campus has advanced
at pace since work commenced on site just over a year ago. The
planned opening of the campus remains on track for September
2028.
Speaking at the event, Education Minister, said: “Today marks an
important milestone for the Strule Shared Education Campus and is
a clear demonstration of the progress being made on this flagship
project.
“Strule represents a powerful commitment to shared education,
bringing young people together in a modern, purpose-built
environment that supports excellence in education through
collaboration and cooperation.
“I am delighted with the pace of progress onsite and I look
forward to seeing the campus move through the next stages of
delivery as we work towards welcoming pupils and staff to Strule
in 2028.”
Notes to editors:
1. The Strule Shared Education Campus is a pioneering approach to
delivering shared education with six schools from Omagh being
built on a single campus with a range of shared facilities. The
six schools to be located on the campus are: Arvalee School and
Resource Centre, Christian Brothers Grammar School, Loreto
Grammar School, Omagh Academy Grammar School, Omagh High School
and Sacred Heart College.
2. The construction of Arvalee School and Resource Centre was
completed in 2016 and construction of the remaining schools and
shared facilities commenced in February 2025 following the
Department of Education's award of the contract to the Woodvale
Lowry Joint Venture in August 2024.
3.The topping out ceremony marks a key point in the construction
programme and provides confidence in the continued delivery of
the campus in line with stated timelines. Alongside construction
activity, work is ongoing to support schools, staff and
communities to prepare for the transition to the new shared
campus.
