On 10 April 2025, Mill Strand Integrated Primary School and Nursery School in Portrush welcomed a very special visitor when the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Hilary Benn, came to meet pupils, staff and founding parents on what was the 27th anniversary of the signing of the Belfast Good Friday Agreement.
Mill Strand IPS and Nursery took the opportunity to give MP Hilary Benn a tour of the new school building and Nursery Unit. The £12.5 million investment was provided through the Fresh Start Agreement. Fresh Start funding forms part of the UK Government’s commitment, as part of the Fresh Start and Stormont House agreements, to deliver new capital funding to support shared and Integrated Education. The new school build was completed in July 2024 and is comprised of 14 classes and a double nursery unit, which will provide an Integrated Education for 420 pupils in the Portrush area.
Callum Hannigan, Principal of Mill Strand IPS and Nursery, commented:
“Mill Strand IPS and Nursery was delighted to have the opportunity to show MP Hilary Benn around our new school building on such a significant day. We were delighted to introduce the Secretary of State to our pupils, staff and founding parents.
This new building is the culmination of a twenty year long journey and marks a real milestone for the school. The new school has retained a sense of its history, identity and core values as depicted on the murals that dominate the façade of the school. We were delighted to be able to show the Secretary of State these murals and talk about the history and also our plans for the future of Mill Strand IPS.
The visit also provided an opportunity for the pupils to engage directly with the Secretary of State, an opportunity which the pupils relished. They were able to express eloquently what integration means to them. Integrated Education is not just a matter of mixing religions, but an intentional ethos which brings people together from different cultures and backgrounds and permeates every element of school life, everything from the interactions in the playground, the conversations at the school gate, the teaching staff, to the governance of the school.”
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Hilary Benn, said:
“It was an absolute pleasure to visit Mill Strand IPS and Nursery on such an auspicious day, and especially for me and the current pupils to hear the moving story of the school’s founding by a group of parents and others who wanted an Integrated Education for their children.
This Government is unapologetic in its support for more Integrated Education in Northern Ireland so that children from different backgrounds can learn together, better understand one another and become friends.”
Paul Caskey OBE, Chief Executive of the Integrated Education Fund (IEF), and Sean Pettis, Chief Executive Officer of the Council for Integrated Education (NICIE) were also present at the visit:
“The IEF and NICIE are delighted that the Secretary of State was able to take time out of his busy schedule to visit Mill Strand IPS and Nursery and meet with the pupils, staff and founding parents on the 27th anniversary of the signing of the Belfast Good Friday Agreement. There is no better way to learn about Integrated Education than by meeting the children who experience it each day.
The Northern Ireland Office has provided generous support to Integrated Education through both our organisations and we are extremely grateful for that support. Fresh Start funding has enabled this fantastic new school build and we look forward to watching Mill Strand IPS and Nursery continue to thrive in its new state-of-the-art premises.”
