Exclusive peek inside £6.25m school

main entrance of the new academy

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PUPILS have been getting a look at their new £6.25m school ahead of its opening on Wednesday.

Around 50 reception, primary and secondary pupils will join Hollinwood Academy this year.

The building will cater for children with autism and will eventually have 140 pupils, including sixth-formers.

The school was built in sections in Belfast before being shipped to the former Kaskenmoor High School site in Roman Road, Hollinwood, for construction. Headteacher Sarah Lockwood said: “It’s amazing. There was nothing here in March — it has gone up so quickly.”

Hollinwood Academy is one of only a few schools of its kind in the country. Pupils have been taking part in a three-day transition holiday club to help them settle in on the first day of term. The school is an alternative to mainstream schools or special schools which cater for children with a range of disabilities and learning difficulties.

“Families were telling us there wasn’t a school specifically for children with autism,” explained Ms Lockwood. “These children are able to work within the mainstream curriculum but they have struggled because of the size of the classes and the environment.”

At Hollinwood pupils will be taught in small classes by teachers specialising in autistic spectrum disorders, but pupils will follow the national curriculum, taking GCSEs and then A-levels or work-related qualifications.