Staff and pupils of Grace Park Educate Together National School have moved into their new school building at the DCU All Hallows Campus, Drumcondra, Dublin 9.
Caroline Mee, Acting Principal, Grace Park Educate Together National School, DCU All Hallows Campus, Drumcondra, Dublin 9.
Grace Park National School first opened in 2016 in temporary premises on the ChildVision site, Grace Park Road, with just 28 Junior Infants.
Today, 231 children and 19 staff moved into a state-of-the-art 16-classroom school building designed by Opperman Associates and built by AMB Design.
The three-storey school building includes 18 classrooms, a general-purpose hall, and support-teaching spaces, with a total floor area of 3,760 sqm. Features include a first-floor roof garden and Larch timber louvres along the outside of the infrastructure, to introduce shade to south-facing classroom windows and a unique style. The school grounds have provision for 160-bicycle and 50-scooter storage spaces, as well as ball courts, gardens, play areas, and drop-off and pick-up facilities.
Great care was taken to integrate the design of the school building into its historic location in DCU All Hallows Campus.
Grace Park Educate Together National School (ETNS) is an equality-based school established in response to population growth in the area as well as the growing demand for this model of education in the North Dublin region.
Acting Principal Caroline Mee said:
“We are thrilled and excited to have finally arrived at this important milestone in our journey as a school. We have worked towards this day since 2011 when a group of parents came together with a vision of providing an Educate Together school. We are so proud and grateful to our whole school community for the constant support.
“Most importantly, we want to thank all of our children who have waited so patiently for this special day. We hope that we have done them proud and that they enjoy their larger surroundings including the basketball court, playground, and indoor hall. We will work towards getting a child into the Dublin team at some point in the future!”
Emer Nowlan, CEO, Educate Together
Educate Together CEO Emer Nowlan said:
“It is wonderful to see the Grace Park Educate Together school community move into their permanent home today. Covid-19 added new challenges to what was already a complex process, and I’d like to pay tribute to everyone involved in getting this new school building opened safely.
Grace Park Educate Together National School, DCU All Hallows Campus, Drumcondra, D9.
“The construction team went above and beyond, working closely with school management to ensure the building handed over is fit for purpose, with excellent facilities for learning. Our thanks also go to our partners in the Department of Education and Skills, and hosts and neighbours Dublin City University.
“Huge praise must go to the staff and board of management of the school, who have worked incredibly hard since sanction in 2015 to create a thriving and inclusive school, which will serve the local community for decades to come.”
SOURCE: Materials provided by Educate Together
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