New Building Updates

21st October 2022

The planning application for the proposed replacement building was submitted to Fingal County Council on Friday 21st October 2022.  The planning application can be viewed online on the Fingal County Council website or at the offices of Fingal County Council.

27th September 2022

Our neighbours in Portmarnock were invited to a presentation by the Principal and Architects. They outlined the plans, timeline and construction process followed by a question and answer session. 

 

24th May 2022

You will all have noticed the construction work adjacent to our main entrance gates in the last few weeks. The Department of Education have approved the construction of new temporary buildings to replace the existing K-Building which is now beyond repair. The new temporary buildings will be open in late August before we return for the new year. The K-Building will be also removed from the site next year.

 The temporary building forms part of a wider review of the existing buildings on site. Our main school building was constructed in the late 1970’s and the Department have recently appointed a design team to review its condition and plan for an upgrade of our facilities to meet our future educational needs. A design proposal for a new building has been prepared and will be submitted to the Department for approval of funding in the coming weeks. The new building will replace the existing buildings, providing new classrooms and support facilities to meet current Department guidelines.  The new school design has been developed to minimise the impact on our neighbours, to respond to the existing ecology and biodiversity on the school grounds, to facilitate school operations during construction, and to reduce our future energy needs and impact on the environment.

 This is a very exciting time for us as a school and something we have been waiting for, for many years.  We hope to be in a position to present the plans to the school community and neighbourhood on our return in September, before a planning application is made to the local authority.

April 2022

Dear Parents & Guardians,

 I hope this finds all of you well and that you and your family are enjoying a relaxing Easter Break. 

I am pleased to share some very positive news in relation to the commencement of work to prepare the existing basketball courts and the area immediately bordering it, for the installation of the new modular building that will ultimately replace the K Building.

 Beginning tomorrow, 20th April, the Cabinpac team will be working to set up the site with their equipment and security fencing before embarking on groundworks and preparing access to utilities ahead of the arrival of the units themselves towards the end of May, before the start of the State Examinations.

We understand that the team will arrive on site each day from c. 7.15am each day and will endeavour to leave the hours between 8.00am and 9.00am; lunchtimes; and the end of the school day entirely free of any construction traffic so that staff and students can have unimpeded access through the school gates. While there will be access through the school gates outside of these designated times, it will be less safe, particularly for pedestrians and cyclists, given the likelihood of builders’ equipment and vehicles also using the gates. I would therefore appeal to everyone to try as far as possible to limit use of the entrances to these times and to exercise caution if arriving or leaving school during normal class time.

 Parents who require access to the site to collect their son/daughter in case of illness etc will of course continue to be welcome to use the car park near the front door of the school for this purpose.

There will be full Harris security and safety fencing in place around the construction site and the area will remain strictly out of bounds to students and school personnel alike for the duration of the project.

The completion date is envisaged for the middle of August so that students and teachers can have access to the new classrooms, science labs, art room, Home Economics room and ASD unit in time for the start of the new academic year this September.

Wishing all of you a peaceful and restorative remainder of the week before the start of the Summer Term.

Kind Regards,

Helen Dargan

    Everything points to Portmarnock community school