A NEW build for Hazelwood Integrated College in North Belfast has been approved by the Department of Education.
Hazelwood College has been consistently oversubscribed for the past number of years and during 2020 was the most oversubscribed school in North Belfast.
The existing school was built to accommodate 720 students and the College now has almost 1100.
The approval was confirmed this week after a visit from Education Minister Michelle McIlveen.
Delighted Principal Máire Thompson said: “This is wonderful news for Hazelwood, we are a thriving school and this investment will bring a state-of-the-art building and facilities that our students, staff and community fully deserve.
"We look forward to the development of this new build and the wonderful opportunities it will provide for the young people of North Belfast”.
In other news, Hazelwood Integrated College's leadership team has become one of the first in the UK to have gained associate accreditation from the Association of Education Advisers.
The Association of Education Advisers, founded by Les Walton CBE, was launched in 2018. Their vision is that every school, college and education provider should have access to high-quality support, advice and challenge which is focused on improving outcomes for children, schools and their communities.
Hazelwood staff celebrate their Association of Education Advisers accreditation status
The AoEA accreditation and training programme focuses on understanding, developing, validating and promoting the skills and expertise needed to best support and advise schools and colleges.
Principal Thompson added: “My team are very proud of their new accredited status. The AoEA programme has provided an external opportunity to reflect, condense and showcase our contribution to school improvement within Northern Ireland.
"It has been a valuable opportunity to receive external affirmation and feedback, whilst also signposting opportunities for further development”.
