THE future of the district’s smallest high school will be decided in the New Year.
Education officials yesterday confirmed that St. Columba’s College in Portaferry will be subject to a formal public consultation process within weeks.
With just 183 children now registered at the secondary school, officials are understood to becoming increasingly concerned by the financial pressure faced by management and the school’s long-term sustainability as a result.
The New Year consultation process will explore options for the school, which was first put under review in 2012 because of concern about its falling enrolment.
A spokeswoman for the Council for Catholic Maintained Schools confirmed it had been tasked with a review of provision at St Columba’s College as part of a wider Department of Education area planning process two years ago.
She said the review had involved looking at all potential viable and sustainable models of education provision for the area.
She added that the CCMS had been committed to working closely with the wider school community in relation to this review and now anticipated that a formal public consultation will take place early 2015.
“This will give all those who wish to do so, an opportunity to put forward their views on any proposed options,” she said.
One option that will be explored as part of the New Year consultation process will be the possibility of providing full Key Stage Three lessons at the Portaferry campus while blending Key Stage Four provision with provision offered by several Downpatrick schools.
This would mean children from St. Columba’s could access an additional range of GCSE and vocational subjects at the Downpatrick schools, while enjoying some lessons closer to home.
However, it is understood that developing links with Downpatrick is not considered practical by schools in the county town, primarily because of the logistics involved.
Parents with children who may be interested in attending the school in the next few years have recently been canvassed about their opinion on such a partnership proposal. The results of this ballot are expected to be taken into consideration as part of the consultation process.
St. Columba’s College principal, Mr. Michael Breen, was yesterday unavailable to comment about the school’s future.
However, at the school prize distribution last week he told parents the Education Training Inspectorate had judged St. Columba’s to be a “very good school.”
“The Education and Training Inspectorate have commented on the standards achieved by our pupils and the examples of very good teaching which they observed and put down to the work of industrious and dedicated teachers,” he said.
Portaferry councillor Joe Boyle confirmed there was local concern about the school’s future.
He said there was great local support for St. Columba’s College, which has served the local community for over 50 years.
He said the possibility of creating a partnership with Downpatrick schools had been suggested and was understood to be an option for exploration in the New year.
“We have lost a considerable amount in Portaferry in recent years and the last thing we need is for our school to go as well,” he said.
“That is something the community wants to avoid.”