Education, instruction, and training in Newtownards, County Down, Northern Ireland, are the focal point of topics in this part of our guide.
As was the case with many communities in Northern Ireland, education in Newtownards began with the establishment of an abbey. Saint Finian founded Movilla Abbey in 540 AD, and the monastery became a significant Christian settlement, serving as a center for worship, study, and commerce. Despite being sacked by the Vikings in the 9th century, Movilla Abbey continued to thrive until its dissolution under Henry VIII in 1542.
In the early 17th century, after the Plantation of Ulster, Hugh Montgomery played a significant role in rebuilding the town, which was then known as Newtown.
The opening of Regent School House in 1924 was the start of the town's modern educational system. Initially located in Strean Hall, the school moved to its current location on Circular Road in 1962, and was refurbished in 2000.
Today, Newtownards has several schools catering to different age groups and needs. Some of these include Our Lady and St. Patrick's College, a mixed grammar school enrolling pupils aged 11-17, and Rathmore Grammar School and Aquinas Diocesan Grammar School are other mixed grammar schools. Regent House School is one the largest co-educational grammar schools in Northern Ireland, and St. Dominic's High School is a female grammar school.
Besides these grammar schools, Newtownards has several primary schools, such as St. Mary's Primary School and Victoria Primary School, providing foundational education to younger students.
Newtownards is also home to South Eastern Regional College, which offers vocational training and education opportunities to local adults.
Educational institutions and programmes at any level in Newtownards are appropriate topics for this category, including tutoring programmes, driver training, and other types of education and training.
Recommended Resources
AlphaTech is a flight simulator training centre in Newtownards, Northern Ireland. They specialise in Airbus A320 flight simulator training for both aspiring and experienced pilots. Their training programmes include airline assessment preparation, jet orientation courses, refresher training, and others. The facility is equipped with an Airbus A320 Fixed Base Flight Simulator that meets EASA FNPT II standards, and offers smoke in the cockpit simulation for training in smoke removal procedures.
https://www.flyalphatech.com/
Situated on Bowtown Road in Newtownards, Northern Ireland, the Primary School offers educational programmes for P1-P7. Set on a hillside, with views of Scrabo Tower and Strangford Lough, the school was built in the 1990s, and includes a main building with 21 classrooms and large resource areas, a large assembly hall, a minor hall, a purpose-built dining hall, kitchen facilities, administrative block, staff room, ICT suite, and library. Class schedules and individual class pages are featured.
https://www.castlegardens.org.uk/
Founded in 1932, Movilla High School is a well-respected secondary school in Newtownards, Northern Ireland. The coeducational, all-ability school enrolls students from year 8 to year 12. It offers a broad curriculum and a range of extracurricular activities, aiming to help students reach their full potential both academically and individually. The school's location, curriculum, departments, and contacts are published on the site. Its pastoral system, house points, and heads of year are defined.
https://www.movillahighschool.org/
Newtownards Model Primary School
Located on Scrabo Road in Newtownards, Northern Ireland, Newtownards Model Primary School has served the community since 1862. According to its mission statement, the school emphasizes working as a team, with a respectful, safe, caring, and secure environment to develop the intellectual, physical, moral, and creative abilities of all pupils. A school calendar, prospectus, policy information, staff introductions, and a newsletter. Office hours and contacts are included.
https://www.newtownardsmodelps.co.uk/
West Winds Primary School & Nursery
Educating children from ages 3 to 11, West Winds is located at Sunderland Park in Newtownards, Northern Ireland. Turning fifty years old in 2022, the school's mission and values are stated, and an introduction to its board of governors, principal, and staff is set forth, along with contact details, a school calendar, prospectus, curriculum, policies, and information for new pupils, grade-specific pages, extra-curricular activities, a holiday list, and parent resources.
https://www.westwindsprimary.co.uk/
