Finaghy Primary School (FPS) is a non-denominational school

School

A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools...

 for students aged 4–11 in the south Belfast

Belfast

Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...

 suburb of Finaghy

Finaghy

Finaghy is an electoral ward in the Balmoral district of Belfast City Council, Northern Ireland. It is based on the townland of Ballyfinaghy...

, Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...

.

FPS is a public school, was established in 1934.
It has an enrolment limit of 465 pupils

Student

A student is a learner, or someone who attends an educational institution. In some nations, the English term is reserved for those who attend university, while a schoolchild under the age of eighteen is called a pupil in English...

 with priority given to those with family who are attending or are working at the school, and to those living nearest to it.

FPS has made significant changes to their 7 acres (28,328 m²) campus in recent years with a new school building and a new library shared with the Finaghy community.
The school site includes a new multi-sport pitch and pavilion

Pavilion (structure)

In architecture a pavilion has two main meanings.-Free-standing structure:Pavilion may refer to a free-standing structure sited a short distance from a main residence, whose architecture makes it an object of pleasure. Large or small, there is usually a connection with relaxation and pleasure in...

 — again shared with the community — also a grass football pitch and extensive playground areas. In addition to classroom accommodation, there is an assembly hall, meals kitchen, canteen, staffroom and central library.
The school has exchange programmes with San Anton School

San Anton School

San Anton School is a private co-educational school located near Mġarr, Malta.The school was originally founded in 1988 in the village of Attard, just a few metres away from the President's San Anton Palace - hence it was named "San Anton" School....

 in Malta

Malta

Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...

 and Oristown National School in County Meath

County Meath

County Meath is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the ancient Kingdom of Mide . Meath County Council is the local authority for the county...

.

The school building

The school building has been custom designed and completely rebuilt in 2004. It consists of 16 primary classrooms, each having their own interactive white board, independent entrance points, cloak and toilet facilities. All classrooms are orientated to maximise natural light and have direct access to resource areas.

SportZone

In October 2005 a sports facility called 'SportsZone' was opened. The facility comprises a 60 m x 40m synthetic playing surface with full fencing and floodlighting. There is also a pavilion with showers/changing facilities and on-site parking. The facility is for school use during the day and is open to local schools and community groups during evenings and weekends. This project was funded by a grant from the National Lottery

National Lottery (United Kingdom)

The National Lottery is the state-franchised national lottery in the United Kingdom and the Isle of Man.It is operated by Camelot Group, to whom the licence was granted in 1994, 2001 and again in 2007. The lottery is regulated by the National Lottery Commission, and was established by the then...

's New Opportunities Fund PE and Sports Initiative (now part of the Big Lottery Fund

Big Lottery Fund

The Big Lottery Fund is a grant-making non-departmental public body in the United Kingdom created by the Government to administer the funding of "good causes" following the creation of the National Lottery. It has an annual expenditure of £630 million...

). The Sportzone has formed a key part of the ongoing transformation of the school site into a Community Campus.

Teaching Staff

The current teaching staff includes principal Alastair Mackay, vice-principal Ros Corbett, and 15 teachers. Alastair MacKay won the title of Headteacher of the Year in a Primary School in Northern Ireland for 2006, given at the UKTeaching Awards

Teaching Awards

The Teaching Awards is an annual teacher awards ceremony in the United Kingdom.- Process :Every year, all schools across the UK are invited to nominate their most outstanding headteachers, teachers, teaching assistants and governors. Anyone can make a nomination. Nominations are then endorsed by...

Northern Ireland Regional final in Belfast.