Oakgrove Integrated College
Encyclopedia
Oakgrove Integrated College is an integrated
secondary school
based in Derry
, Northern Ireland
. The all-ability school was founded in 1992 with the hope of integrating young people from both sides of Northern Ireland's religious divide and giving all of its students 'self-esteem
'.
should have an integrated college and primary school. Up to this point, despite being the second largest urban area in Northern Ireland, the city had done without.
This informal meeting went onto several formal ones, which laid the foundation of two new schools in the city: Oakgrove Integrated Primary School and Oakgrove Integrated College.
The college was founded in September 1992 and is the 17th integrated school in Northern Ireland. The fledgling institution moved into half of an old hospital building in Gransha Park, beside Strathfoyle
on the northern outskirts of the city. The college only offered first year ('year 8') education during its first year of operation, with eight teachers. On opening, it had a total of 72 students.
In the following year the school took over the second half of the building and added 7 new teachers and a new year. This continued year on year, adding 7 new teachers and building temporary classrooms until 1998 when the school covered all seven years of secondary education for its eight-hundred pupils.
In September 2004 the school finally moved into its new state-of-the-art building, built close to the old school.
Oakgrove is recognised as a UNICEF rights respecting school.
is viewed as a divided place, a country where adults and children can be separated on religious, social
and political grounds. Oakgrove, and other integrated institutions like it have been used in the country to try to offer a middle ground for parents who want their children to learn in a safe, and unbiased environment.
The foundations at Oakgrove are based on the ethos that everyone is equal and has the right not to be discriminated against in any way, particularly with regard to religious or cultural identity, gender or ability. The college aims to do this by developing the self-esteem of each member of the school's community. This underpins both the academic and the social education of the students.
Integrated Education
The Integrated education movement in Northern Ireland is an attempt to bring together children, parents and teachers from both Roman Catholic and Protestant traditions: the aim being to provide a balanced education, while allowing the opportunity to understand and respect all cultural and religious...
secondary school
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
based in Derry
Derry
Derry or Londonderry is the second-biggest city in Northern Ireland and the fourth-biggest city on the island of Ireland. The name Derry is an anglicisation of the Irish name Doire or Doire Cholmcille meaning "oak-wood of Colmcille"...
, 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...
. The all-ability school was founded in 1992 with the hope of integrating young people from both sides of Northern Ireland's religious divide and giving all of its students 'self-esteem
Self-esteem
Self-esteem is a term in psychology to reflect a person's overall evaluation or appraisal of his or her own worth. Self-esteem encompasses beliefs and emotions such as triumph, despair, pride and shame: some would distinguish how 'the self-concept is what we think about the self; self-esteem, the...
'.
History
The first roots of Oakgrove were in an informal meeting between several teachers and parents on the separation of children, on academic, gender and religious grounds. It was agreed that DerryDerry
Derry or Londonderry is the second-biggest city in Northern Ireland and the fourth-biggest city on the island of Ireland. The name Derry is an anglicisation of the Irish name Doire or Doire Cholmcille meaning "oak-wood of Colmcille"...
should have an integrated college and primary school. Up to this point, despite being the second largest urban area in Northern Ireland, the city had done without.
This informal meeting went onto several formal ones, which laid the foundation of two new schools in the city: Oakgrove Integrated Primary School and Oakgrove Integrated College.
The college was founded in September 1992 and is the 17th integrated school in Northern Ireland. The fledgling institution moved into half of an old hospital building in Gransha Park, beside Strathfoyle
Strathfoyle
Strathfoyle is a village in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland, about north east of Derry. It was newly built in different phases between the late 1920s and the late 1930s, with many new recent additions to the village, including Westlake, Butler's Wharf and Old Fort. In the 2001 Census it had...
on the northern outskirts of the city. The college only offered first year ('year 8') education during its first year of operation, with eight teachers. On opening, it had a total of 72 students.
In the following year the school took over the second half of the building and added 7 new teachers and a new year. This continued year on year, adding 7 new teachers and building temporary classrooms until 1998 when the school covered all seven years of secondary education for its eight-hundred pupils.
In September 2004 the school finally moved into its new state-of-the-art building, built close to the old school.
Oakgrove is recognised as a UNICEF rights respecting school.
Integration
Northern IrelandNorthern 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...
is viewed as a divided place, a country where adults and children can be separated on religious, social
Social
The term social refers to a characteristic of living organisms...
and political grounds. Oakgrove, and other integrated institutions like it have been used in the country to try to offer a middle ground for parents who want their children to learn in a safe, and unbiased environment.
The foundations at Oakgrove are based on the ethos that everyone is equal and has the right not to be discriminated against in any way, particularly with regard to religious or cultural identity, gender or ability. The college aims to do this by developing the self-esteem of each member of the school's community. This underpins both the academic and the social education of the students.