Cautious optimism as ’Bridge school design team appointed

PAST experiences have taught the staff of St Finnachta’s National School in Sixmilebridge to embrace any news of a new school extension, to resolve the chronic accommodation crisis, with cautious optimism.

Therefore, it was little wonder that this week’s announcement by the Department of Education and Skills that a design team is to be appointed to the project, the development of a two-storey building on the site adjacent to the present school and accommodating 24 classrooms, received a guarded welcome.
Principal Dick O’Connell told The Clare Champion the plan to develop a two-storey, 24-four classroom building was previously approved. However, three years ago, the project was shelved but “this latest announcement is a welcome sign that there will be progress on the development in the near future”.
“The school community is delighted with the announcement as any news of movement is welcome. But the delight is tempered because the process is so long drawn out and because of disappointment in the past,” he cautioned.
Mr O’Connell said there is absolutely no doubt that the school is a priority for development as St Finnachta’s National School now caters for 400 pupils, half of whom are in unsuitable temporary accommodation at present.
The Sixmilebridge school principal also alluded to the fact that the boom years utterly changed the local landscape with unprecedented housing developments taking place on many greenfield sites on the periphery of the village.
St Finnachta’s is now experiencing the knock-on effect of that housing explosion. The intake in junior infants this year was 70 pupils, double the number of pupils who will be leaving in sixth class in June.
Sixmilebridge has also outstripped other national schools in Shannon, Cratloe and Newmarket as regards its junior infants’ intake, while the current numbers attending the school has crystallised the need for a new building as more students are accommodated in pre-fabricated structures than the main school building.
Of the 401 pupils on the roll book, 207 are taught in pre-fabricated classrooms.
“This increased enrolment is predicted to remain constant over the next couple of years based on the number of baptisms in the local church.
“There is no reason why the community of Sixmilebridge should not have a modern up-to-date building to cater for its young people, present and future. Let’s hope this announcement will kickstart the beginning of the process, which will result in a proper school building for the 21st century for Sixmilebridge in the not too distant future,” he remarked.
Local councillor PJ Ryan said the appointment of the design team will remove one of the main obstacles stalling progress on the provision of an extension – refurbishment at the school.
“The Sixmilebridge school project is a priority case and the appointment of a design team will advance it along in the right direction. Once that is done and costings prepared, planning permission can then be sought before the project is put out to tender.
“It’s totally unacceptable that more children are being taught in prefabricated classrooms than the main school building. Hopefully, this will signal the beginning of the end to that accommodation crisis and cramped teaching conditions,” he said.