How three schools are becoming one - but still across three sites
How three schools are becoming one - but still across three sites
Mike McBride - BBC News NISun, August 30, 2026 at 5:39 AM UTC
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Causeway Academy welcomed the first cohort of pupils
Opening any new school comes with challenges, but opening one across three sites in two different locations brings a unique set of logistical and practical demands.
For Causeway Academy principal Ruth Harkness, the priority is making the three-campus model work for pupils while building a sense of one school community with a shared identity.
It brings together three former schools: Coleraine College, North Coast Integrated College and Dunluce School.
It was previously proposed the school could be housed on a single new-build site, but after a new purpose-built school was reported to cost in the region of £20m, it instead proceeded with a three-campus model and welcomed pupils this month.
Concerns were previously raised by some parents about merging three schools from across Coleraine and Bushmills.
Previously, some governors at Dunluce School also withdrew from Causeway Academy's interim board last year, saying there was a "total misunderstanding" of school governance among those leading the project.
It was originally suggested that a single new school for Causeway Academy could potentially be built on Ulster University's Coleraine campus, but those plans never materialised.
Three-campus model 'carefully designed'
Speaking to BBC Radio Foyle's North West Today, principal Ruth Harkness described the opening of Causeway Academy as "the beginning of an exciting new chapter" for students, staff and the wider community.
"We started on Wednesday with our Year 8 students, a really good strong cohort of students, so they've spent a couple of days with us, and our Year 13s also joined us on Thursday and our Year 9s and the other year groups will enter as we move through into next week."
Harkness said the three-campus model had been "carefully designed" around the needs of pupils, with a particular focus on providing stability for GCSE and post-16 students "especially at this crucial stage in their education".
Harkness said it was also important to create "a heart of a school" for Key Stage 3 pupils, who will be based on one campus.
That, she said, would allow them to "develop their identity together as this first generation of Causeway Academy students" and build "those relationships and routines and that strong sense of belonging right from the outset".
"Like any large organisation, there'll always be challenges," she said, but added that there had also been "a significant strength" in the three-campus model.
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Harkness said the school had "worked extremely hard to ensure consistency across all campuses".
Years 8–10 will begin at the Carthall Road Campus, previously known as Coleraine College.
Year 13 pupils will attend the new Sixth Form at the Cloyfin Campus, previously known as North Coast Integrated College.
Years 11–12 and Year 14 will remain at the campus of their legacy school, which was either Dunluce School, Coleraine College or North Coast Integrated College, to complete their studies and examinations without disruption.
The school said this approach had been "carefully designed to ensure continuity, stability and the best possible outcomes for all learners".
Long-term ambition remains single campus
Ruth Harkness is the principal of Causeway Academy, a new academy formed following the merger of Coleraine College, North Coast Integrated College and Dunluce School
Harkness said the long-term ambition is to have a single school site for Causeway Academy.
"We've always got to strive for that," she said, adding that there were processes to go through before any decision could be made.
She said the priority for now was providing stability for pupils already in the system while creating "a central point of Causeway Academy".
She said the school would continue to "strive for that and look for investments", adding that any additional investment would be welcomed.
"But we're really conscious of the students that are in the system now and creating that continuity and consistency and familiarisation before we take that next step moving forward," she said.
"We know buildings matter but the people matter more," she added. "Our focus is on creating a school where every child can succeed and we are incredibly excited about the future for Causeway Academy."
School to operate across two sites from 2027
In a statement, the Education Authority (EA) said the opening of Causeway Academy "represents a significant milestone for education in the Causeway area and welcomed its first intake of students.
"The school opened on three existing sites to enable exam year students to complete their educational journey in their home school.
"From June 2027, it is anticipated that the school will operate across two sites", and the Education Authority said it "is currently reviewing alternative options" for the Dunluce site in Buhsmills thereafter.
A Department of Education spokesperson said the school estate is in "poor condition" following "decades of underfunding" and added capital works costs have risen significantly.
"The minister remains fully committed to improving the condition of our school estate and has called for urgent, cross-party support to secure the investment needed to ensure that every child in Northern Ireland is educated in a safe, modern and inclusive environment."
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