Strangford Integrated College

Strangford Integrated College is a co-educational, all-ability integrated school on the Abbey Road in Carrowdore, with around 830 pupils. It opened on the first of September 1997 with sixty-four students, six full-time staff and a secretary, after parents formed a steering committee at a public meeting in February 1996. It has two routes into Year 8, which it calls the Grammar Pathway and the All-Ability Pathway: thirty-five per cent of the places are decided on the SEAG score and the rest without a test.

The four houses are named after islands in Strangford Lough, and each has a patron saint and a symbol the school explains. Mahee takes St Colman, who studied on the island and valued peace, so its symbol is a dove. Ogilby takes St Ultan, a scholar who saved the books of his monastery when it was attacked, and its symbol is a book. Sketrick takes St Comgall, who founded the monastery at Bangor, and its symbol is a candle for the work of enlightening others. Taggart takes St Gall, who by legend tamed a bear in Switzerland that became his companion, so it has an ursine symbol.

Lunch is a timetabled period! Periods six and seven are the two sittings, seniors first and juniors second, so half the school eats while the other half is in class. The day itself runs from five past nine to half past three. Year 8 induction is done partly at home: families work through an interactive presentation before term, and the school sends out a reading list, numeracy and literacy activities and an all about me sheet. A new building is going up on the site, with the first wing due in spring 2026 and a sports centre the year after.