The Education Minister visited St. Mary’s Limavady this week as part an overall viewing of the Roe Valley Learning Community. John O’Dowd who has made his views clear about schools collaborating and working together more, visited the Roe Valley to see first hand the inclusive collaboration that takes place between the five post primary schools.   

He explored the collaboration between St. Mary’s, who have been leading this phase of the Sharing Education Programme, Limavady Grammar School, Limavady High School, St Patrick’s College and Rossmar School. His visit allowed the Learning Community to show case the work that goes on between the schools on a daily basis.  

Collaboration and sharing educational provision is a well imbedded aspect of life in Roe Valley schools. The schools in the Roe Valley have for many years been working together in order to provide the best possible educational experience for all its young people ensuring that they have a variety of choice in their chosen educational path. The Learning community has also allowed the schools to work towards the conditions of the Entitlement Framework whereby pupils must be offered 24 subjects at GCSE and 27 at post sixteen. 

Each week in the Roe Valley over 600 pupils benefit from this shared approach among the schools and those within the learning community firmly believe that it as an example of best practice in regards to collaboration in Northern Ireland.

The Learning Community was delighted to welcome the education minister and hope that his experiences in the Roe valley can be used to encourage wider collaboration among schools.