Expansion at school welcomed

The mobile classroom unit has been in situ for four years, and Assistant Principal Gary Brennan felt the time was right to invest in improving the facilities for the college’s Sixth Form students.

He said: “The college is continuously investing in and improving our Sixth form curriculum and we wanted to give something back to the students and they are absolutely delighted with it.”

Cllr Noreen McClelland, Deputy Mayor of Antrim and Newtownabbey, William Humphrey MLA, Ald Guy Spence along with Ronan McCay from the Integrated Education Fund attended the opening and they were treated to musical performances by students Abbi Telford and James Brown.

The Department of Education have approved a development proposal for an increase in student numbers at the college. Therefore, the admission number at Year 8 will increase from 140 to 160 with an annual phased increase in the enrolment number from 850 to 1010 with effect from September 1 2017. Along with supernumerary pupils and additional sixth form students this will take Hazelwood school numbers to 1100.

Trevor Parkhill MBE, Chair of the Board of Governors, said this welcome increase in numbers will enable Hazelwood to meet the rising demand for the quality education it continues to deliver in an integrated school context. He praised parents and pupils for continuing to make the college their number one choice for an educational experience that will effectively equip them for adulthood in a challenging and ever-changing world. He also acknowledged the role of the Department of Education in supporting this initiative.