History

History of Our School

On learning that the local integrated school had to move out of the immediate area early in 1993, some parents already having children at the school decided that the difficulties of transporting children across the city would be too much.  Joined by other interested people they set about establishing a new school to serve the Lisburn Road corridor.  It was envisaged that the school would also draw pupils from the west of the city.  With the help of the Northern Ireland Council for Integrated Education the daunting task of establishing a Grant Maintained Integrated School got under way.  Many public meetings with interested parents, meetings to discuss funding and find suitable premises, meetings to appoint staff and a thousand other related tasks took place.

Since then, the school has not looked back. Building work began on the Musgrave site in July 2000 and Cranmore moved to its permanent site in September 2001 to cater for 203 pupils in the first phase of building.  We are appreciating a very rewarding and stimulating present while looking to and planning for the future.  At present we have 210 pupils enroled in the primary school and a further 26 children attend our pre-school.

The school grounds are tree-lined and private with tarmaced and grassy areas for the children to enjoy. In 2009 we designed and built a play area for outdoor learning. We also have the benefit of an environmental area in which children can plant and grow flowers. Since 2012 we have been awarded the ‘Green Flag’ every two years in recognition of our commitment to a sustainable school environment. Work is currently underway to complete an outdoor classroom area adjacent to our school orchard.

Development of Preschool education

Our Pre-school facility opened in 2003 with the generous support of Mr Kevin Curley, the American Ireland Fund and the Integrated Education Fund. It is an integral part of the primary school and prides itself on the warm and welcoming environment for both children and parents. The inclusive ethos of the Pre-school ensures that all children have opportunities to learn and play together irrespective of social, religious or cultural background.

In 2015-2016 we moved into brand-new purpose-built accommodation which consists of a mud pie kitchen area, playgrounds, large playroom, quiet room, Kitchen area and office/staff room. The Pre-school children also make use of the school grounds and the school hall for indoor play.

From September 2017 our pre-school has been operating as a Nursery Class with the daily session running from 9:00am until 1:00pm. We currently have 26 part time places in the Nursery the majority of which transfer to the main school for Primary 1.

Character & Ethos

As an integrated all-ability primary school, we aim to provide a happy, secure environment in which children can learn effectively to realise their full potential as unique individuals.  This aim permeates the ethos of the school, the teaching styles and approaches, the pastoral care arrangements and the discipline policy of Cranmore.  As children have different abilities, aptitudes and needs, their performances will vary from their peers, but every opportunity will be given for children to experience success.  Positive encouragement and praise for all pupils regardless of gender, colour or creed will enable them to develop intellectually, socially, morally and spiritually and become full contributing members of the school community.

The Board of Governors, Principal and teachers are committed to the establishment of a school which will in particular:

• provide an opportunity for children from the two main traditions in Northern Ireland, as well as those from other traditions and cultures to develop a knowledge, understanding, appreciation and respect for their common culture.
• aim to encourage all pupils to explore and value their own particular tradition so as to encourage the education together of children of various beliefs, cultures and traditions.
• promote a happy and caring environment centered on the needs of the child in preparing him or her for a creative and satisfying life in a pluralist society.
• promote and protect the rights of parents to be involved in the decision making and community life of the school while respecting the role of staff as professional teachers.
• have a belief in educating and cherishing all children, Protestants, Catholics, other faiths and none, on a footing of equality.
• have a belief that an integrated school should be Christian rather than secular in character, and have a commitment to integrated education.
• have an emphasis on child-centered education, and the involvement of parents in the life and work of the school.

Curriculum & extra curricular activities

Learning and teaching is planned around the requirements and themes as set out in the Northern Ireland Curriculum. Regular assessment and monitoring of pupil work and standards is used to inform teachers about pupil progress and to forward plan the next lessons.

Opportunities to promote the principles of integrated education occur throughout the school day both in a planned and unplanned fashion.

Throughout the year the school offers a wide variety of extra-curricular activities on a Wednesday and Thursday. Pupils are also encouraged to take part in competitions in relation to music, sport and art.

As an inclusive learning environment, the school attracts pupils with diverse abilities including pupils with additional needs.

In 2023 we repurposed our old playgroup mobile classroom as a dedicated Learning Centre/Library. This allowed us to repurpose our old library (within the main school building) as a dedicated Learning Support classroom with a full time Learning Support teacher who plans and delivers intervention for small groups. The Learning Support Teacher works closely with the Principal and the Learning Support Co-ordinator to ensure that pupils are progressing, targets are appropriately identified, and the provision is kept under review.

As a school we fundamentally believe that any support must also include working alongside class teachers and classroom assistants to ensure that there is further support for pupils when they return to the classroom. This will ensure the pupils receive consistency both in support, teaching approaches and learning targets.