Northern Ireland Education Minister, Paul Givan, has cut the first sod on a major capital construction project at Crawfordsburn Primary School.

The investment of over £7.3m by the Department of Education will deliver a new build school on its existing site, which has been extended.

Welcoming the start of the construction phase, Givan said: “This is an important day for the school community, marking the beginning of an exciting chapter as construction gets underway.

“When completed, the new school will deliver eight modern classrooms and other state-of-the-art facilities, designed to help children at Crawfordsburn Primary School grow, thrive, and reach their full potential.”

Construction is due to be completed in March 2027.

Givan adds: “There has been considerable work to get to this stage.

“I commend the school and stakeholders who have shown dedication, commitment, and perseverance to bring the project from initial design, through planning, and into construction.

“It is a journey that displays the very best of our school communities.

School principal, Adam Ferguson, added: “This is a significant milestone for everyone within the Crawfordsburn Primary School community.

“The contractors are on site and everyone in our school is excited to see the new building start to take shape.

“This new building behind our current site will provide our school community with access to modern, state-of-the-art facilities that will further add to the excellent provision delivered by our staff.

“The project will see an expansion of our school site and improved outdoor learning spaces, as well as greater parking and drop-off capacity.

“Our pupils deserve the best start in life and we are looking forward to the learning opportunities that the enhanced school facilities will offer to both our pupils and staff.”

Isherwood & Ellis is the integrated consultant team for the project and Bell Contracts is the appointed building contractor.