"To see the good in, and get the best out of": Hollybush PS’s guiding mission for every pupil's success

Hollybush Primary and Nursery School is situated in the village of Culmore, on the outskirts of Derry and close to the border with Donegal.

We have two part time nursery classes and fourteen classes from primary one to primary seven, with a total of 440 pupils. We also have a sensory room, which helps address the needs of pupils who have sensory issues. We have a cooking canteen which serves hot food every day, a playpark, grassed pitch, ICT suite, and a library. We have just opened our first Specialist Provision Unit, and we will soon see work commence on an extension to the school to accommodate a second Specialist Provision classroom. Our Breakfast Club begins at 8.00 a.m., and we have a wide range of after school activities each day.

The school has grown significantly in recent years, due to its reputation and the building of homes in the wider Culmore area. We also attract pupils from well beyond our own catchment area.

Our motto is Bonum Videre Optimum Educere , and that translates as ‘to see the good in, and get the best out of,’ our pupils. That is what we are about in a nutshell. We love and value our pupils, and strive to get the very best out of them in every sense.

We are a school that responds to innovative practice in education, but we have retained many of the traditional teaching styles that have served so many of our past pupils well since the school opened on its old site in 1891. Our academic record is second to none, and we are proud of the achievements of our pupils.

We believe in developing the whole child. We believe that children learn best when they are happy, and when there is effective partnership between home and school.

We believe in engendering in our pupils a desire for learning, a desire to achieve at the highest possible level, and, most importantly, a desire to be good and decent people.

We are a Catholic school, but open to all. We foster strong links with the parishes of Culmore and Steelstown, and the faith life of the school is very important to us.

The most recent external validation of our success was in our 2013 general inspection when the school was deemed ‘Outstanding’ in each of the areas inspected. This success is due in no small part to our dedicated team operating at every level of the school for the good of our pupils.

At Hollybush, we are proud of our environmental work. We are a green flag school.

Our school is heated using willow chip grown in the fields adjacent to the school, and sets of photovoltaic panels help provide our electricity needs. In 2013, in recognition of the school’s environmental work, we won the prestigious Ashden Award and were named the greenest school in the UK.

Sport and music are both are very important to the life of the school. We have many team sports, taken by a group of dedicated and experienced teachers, and we have achieved much sporting success over the years in Gaelic football, soccer, hurling, netball, swimming, chess, cross country, to name but a few of our team sports. Many of our past pupils have gone on to achieve some very high standards in these areas, locally and nationally.

Hollybush has always been renowned for its musical endeavours and success. We have a very strong choir and have enjoyed much success at the Derry feis. Our recorder ensemble has come first place every year in the Derry feis since we entered the competition. We provide string and brass tuition in partnership with the Education Authority.

Hollybush is a school at the heart of the community of Culmore, in which new and exciting developments are happening all the time. We have an excellent relationship with the Culmore Hub, and the new greenway comes right to the gate of our school.

We enjoy a close working relationship with community groups and our neighbouring schools.

When you select Hollybush for your child, your family become members of a strong and proud school community with a deep rooted and successful history in this beautiful area.

A viewing of our lovely school can be arranged by contacting the office by telephone, or by email. We will be more than happy to show you what Hollybush can offer.

Feargal Friel (Acting Principal)