Newcastle school head retires after 27 years

Newcastle school head retires after 27 years

7 July 2021

NEWCASTLE’S Shimna Integrated College wished founding principal Kevin Lambe a happy retirement last week after 27 years at the helm.

Alongside founding parents, he helped build the school from scratch, including the building, staff and student body. 

Newcastle parents founded All Children’s Integrated Primary School — the first Integrated primary in Northern Ireland — and when their children approached their 11th birthday it was a matter of urgency to provide integrated  post-primary education in the town.

As the development officer with the Northern Ireland Council for Integrated Education, Mr Lambe supported the parent group in its aim and in September 1994, Shimna opened at Murlough House in Dundrum. 

Mr Lambe became the first principal, employing the first seven teachers and recruiting the first 60 students. He was also instrumental in building Shimna’s new school at the Lawnfield site at the same time as running the school. 

Shimna now has 640 students and the vision of an all-ability, post-primary integrated school, delivering academic excellence as been realised. The school is also student centred and parent friendly.

Mr Lambe would, however, be the first to say that there is no such thing as an integrated school, that Shimna is an “integrating school” — a dynamic process which continues. 

He was presented with a painting of the “Bus back to Belfast” by the chairwoman of Shimna’s Board of Governors Anne Fitzpatrick. 

In addition, staff members, governors, parents and old scholars combined to contribute towards a set of golf clubs and Shimna founder parents Andy Carden and Gráinne Tobin presented Mr Lambe with customised golfballs bearing his signature slogan — peace and love. 

Covid precautions precluded the enormous celebration of Mr Lambe’s 27 years in the way that everyone had hoped, but the warmth of the tributes which flooded in online, cards, social media comment and gifts gave some idea of the high esteem in which the principal was held. 

Also last week, one of the Shimna’s most well-known students, multi-prizewinning author Dara McAnulty, presented vice-principal Karen Caulfield with copies of his best-selling book Diary of a Young Naturalist and his new book, Wild Child – A Journey Through Nature.  

Dara is an inspiration to students and staff and leads the college’s Roots & Shoots group.  

The young naturalist also gifted Shimna Roots & Shoots with £1,500 to help make their dreams for our local wildlife and nature come true in 2021-2022.