FAQs
Campus facilities will be made available for community use outside core school hours. The wider site is accessible and will benefit the whole town following completion of the cycleways and walkways project which was developed in conjunction with Omagh District Council.
Shared education at Strule is a pioneering approach to delivering education in the region.
Each schools will retain their individuality and ethos whilst maximising the opportunities provided through collaboration and sharing. This means the widest range of subjects will be available to the students on campus. Schools will be able to deliver 21st century curriculum in progressive, modern and flexible facilities, aspects of which will be enhanced significantly through sharing resources. The campus approach will also facilitate better connectivity between mainstream and special needs schools.
Placing education at the heart of the community means that young people are connected through education which filters into the wider community. There is potentially a huge social and educational dividend which can promote and enhance community relations.
The mature parkland setting of the site is one its greatest strengths and has been at the forefront of the minds in planning discussions,
Ecology, tree preservation and enhancement, wildlife identification and protection have all been built into the overall design of the site.
Significant emphasis has been placed on landscape design to preserve the campus setting.
It is estimated that 3,700 students will make use of the facility each year.
Transport and traffic management issues are being addressed. The Department of Education has committed to part-funding the construction of the Strathroy Link Road, which being taken forward by the Department of Regional Development.
Further consideration of detailed traffic management arrangements will continue throughout the design development process, in association with the Roads Service.
Site governance and management options are in the early stages of planning. It is proposed that the entire campus will be managed within an agreed Campus Memorandum of Agreement.
Strule is fully committed to “Buy Social” and that means that social clauses will be built into every contract awarded.
“Buy Social” is about structuring buying to deliver more for the local community; create meaningful engagement with stakeholders; and provide opportunities for the most disadvantaged.
All contractors must deliver more value to the local community which might mean work experience for young people; or work opportunities for the long-term unemployed; or helping provide skills to the most disadvantaged; or working with the schools onsite to enrich the curriculum.
As the project progresses there will be a number of ‘meet-the-buyer’ events to explain this principle in more detail and outline the potential Strule opportunities for local suppliers and social enterprises.
The site will be reconnected to the town by extending the park at the south east tip of the site with a pedestrian link.
All six schools are committed to sharing at Strule. The principals have been working together to develop their collective thinking, whilst respecting and retaining their own school’s identity and ethos. Educational considerations are at the heart of all discussions and planning.