‘It will be great to move forward as a school, to share a campus with the local community’

A NEW purpose built building for St Mary’s Special School in Navan took a major step forward this week with the approval of the Department of Education to move the project to tender stage.

Also approved for tender stage was the second phase of the Coláiste an Mí secondary school.

The shared campus will be one of the largest educational facilities in the county and after a long period of work by both school boards of management and the LMETB the end game is in sight.

Maria Corredor, Principal of St Mary's Special School said they were absolutely delighted with the news.

"Our children deserve a warm premises with proper facilities such as a music room, woodwork and home economics rooms. It also means that the special care unit can join us too.

"It will be great as a school to move forward and it will be great to share a campus with the local community, although we cater for all of Meath," she said.

She recalls she first joined the staff of St Mary's in 2001 when the school was in temporary accommodation in Johnstown.

"It was just to be for a few years, but here we are 20 years later," she points out

"The school has expanded over the years from six to 14 classes. We are very thankful to the patron body and the Department.

"The parents are delighted. Our children are aged four to 18 years, so they are with us for a long time."

Principal of Coláiste na Mí, Mr Paddy Carr, expressed his delight at this further development of Coláiste na Mí and the opportunity to teach and learn in such a uniquely integrated campus.

Minister for Education Norma Foley approved the progression of both St Mary’s Special School and the Phase Two extension of Coláiste na Mí Secondary School to tender stage last week and the Department's Major Project Tender and Construction section will now be working with the schools to take them through this process.

The new St Mary’s School will be a split-level two storey school catering for children with severe and profound disabilities at both junior and senior level with a floor area of 3,772m2.

The facilities in the school will include classrooms, an art room, a woodwork room, a library, computer room and a home economics room with a daily living skills room.

The building will also house a general purpose room with stage and full kitchen and dining facilities.

Each classroom will have access to external classroom space, there will be an all-weather pitch area and an external play area. Phase two of Coláiste na Mí will include two and three storey extensions and will link the existing school building to Sion House and St Martha’s College and will increase the capacity of the school to 1,000 students. The additional accommodation will include, science labs, technology rooms, classrooms, art rooms, computer rooms, social areas, a special needs unit and a full-size PE hall with a stage.

Martin O’Brien, Chief Executive of LMETB said the development would also include extensive works to manage the internal traffic layout and to provide additional drop off and parking areas.

Shared sports facilities and basket ball courts would also be added to the campus under this second phase of development.

He said that phase two had already been reviewed and approved by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and built on the great work completed in 2013 on the first phase of the campus.

The completed campus will be the first fully integrated education campus to house primary, post primary and special needs education.

St Stephen’s NS and first phase of Coláiste na Mí are already in place.

Mr Robert Callaghan, Chair of the Board of Management of St Mary’s Special School, said staff, students, and the whole community were thrilled to hear the announcement that the completion of the school will be going to tender.

Cllr Wayne Harding, Chair of LMETB said the reputation of LMETB in delivering projects demonstrated the dedication and ambition of LMETB in delivering five star solutions for the children of Louth and Meath.

Senator Shane Cassells said that there was now light at the end of the tunnel for the schools. “I am delighted for both schools that Minister Foley has approved this tender stage and that we have progress on these buildings at long last,” remarked Senator Cassells.

“This has been a long process, in particular for St Mary’s Special School who are in immediate need of a purpose built facility."

Welcoming the news, Minister Damien English said;

“There has been a long campaign in Navan and Johnstown to get this project to move to the tendering stage. With the detailed design of the school facilities now signed off, the tendering process can commence without further delay. I will continue to support the schools and the LMETB in their work to maintain momentum on delivering the educational campus in Johnstown."