Strandtown Primary School, Belfast

Strandtown primary school in East Belfast, whilst having a restricted P4 to P9 intake, is nonetheless one of Northern Ireland’s largest primary schools, with an enrolment of some 930 pupils.

The original school, an RIBA award winning listed building dating from the late 1930’s, designed by RS Wilshire, has been extended and refurbished on a piecemeal basis over the foregoing years.

The practice’s redevelopment masterplan completed under the second phase of the Belfast Schools Partnership initiative re-established the presence of the original building, whilst adding contemporary accommodation around it. The building is also to be reconfigured and refurbished internally, to meet current Department of Education guidelines.

Careful consideration has been given to decanting and health and safety issues to limit the impact of the construction works on children attending the school.

Funding restrictions resulted in a phased approach to the redevelopment, with the two classroom wing extensions being completed in 2019.