Castlebar Educate Together moves to Marsh House

MOVING ON UP Some of the new Junior Infants at Castlebar’s Educate Together school with Principal Sarah Calvey and part-time special education teacher Liam Scanlon.

Áine Ryan

CASTLEBAR Educate Together National School (ETNS) moved into its new town-centre premises at the extensively renovated Marsh House on Friday last with 32 pupils. The 16 Junior Infants and 16 Senior Infants attending the two-teacher multi-denominational and multi-ethnic school will now enjoy all the facilities and resources available in other primary schools.
Along with principal Sarah Calvey, the school now has a second teacher, Miriam Conway, a native of Breaffy who has spent some years teaching in Dublin. Liam Scanlon will also work as a part-time Special Education teacher for three days a week.  
“I am overjoyed that our multi-denominational school has moved to Marsh House. We will continue to provide the same dynamic educational experience for pupils as we grow and expand. This location will provide us with a great platform to showcase what exactly an Educate Together school is,” said Ms Calvey.
“Children, parents, staff and indeed the whole school community are overjoyed with the way the school is growing and progressing,” she continued.
Facilities at the refurbished former-town-council buildings include classrooms, a library, a multi-purpose and play room, office and reception, a staff room, storage space and toilets.
Planning permission for Marsh House stipulates that the maximum capacity is 68 pupils. Educate Together predicts that this number will be reached within the next few years, and that the school will then require a larger premises.
“The 2011 forum on patronage and pluralism surveys that were conducted seem to have underestimated the demand for this type of school in the town. The Board of Management of Castlebar ETNS will be asking parents to register their interest using the school website www.castlebaretns.ie in late September,” an Educate Together spokesperson stated.  
The Castlebar school remains grateful to Mayo Mayo County Council, the Department of Education and Skills and the contractors and tradespeople, school ambassadors and Mayo footballers Cora Staunton and Paddy Durcan, as well as the whole school community for their continued support and encouragement.