Newtownabbey Community High School

Newtownabbey Community High School
Location
Rathcoole Drive Newtownabbey , Northern Ireland , BT37 9RQ United Kingdom
Coordinates	54°39′32″N5°54′36″W / 54.659°N 5.910°W / 54.659; -5.910
Information
School type	Secondary (Controlled)
Founded	1994 (1994)
Closed	August 2015 (2015-08)
Local authority	Education Authority
Principal	John Lewis [1]
Gender	Mixed
Merged into	Abbey Community College

Newtownabbey Community High School was a secondary school in Newtownabbey, Northern Ireland.

Newtownabbey Community High School, founded in 1994, was a controlled, ^[2] co-educational school providing secondary level education. The school was situated on Rathcoole Drive in the Rathcoole estate. ^{[3] [4]}

The school was under the administration of the North Eastern Education and Library Board (NEELB) ^[5] until 2015 when the Education and Library Boards system was changed to newly-formed Education Authority months prior to the schools closure. ^{[6] [2]}

School in the community

After the nearby Whitehouse Primary School was destroyed in an arson attack, the high school donated part of their building to keep the primary school running until it was rebuilt. ^[7]

The High School also had an arson attack on 30 July 2006 which destroyed the two classrooms and damaged other rooms. ^[8]

The school was featured in a 2012 data analysis of schools in Northern Ireland by The Guardian, where 86.5% of the pupils were Protestant, 3.0% were Catholic, and 10.4% were from an 'other' community background. ^[9]

Curriculum

The High School contained a Hair Salon which was operated by students.^{[ citation needed ]}

GCSE students were offered a Careers Experience programme where pupils could get experience by working a one week long apprenticeship or one week in the Military followed by a one week apprenticeship.^{[ citation needed ]}

Closed

Newtownabbey Community High School closed in August 2015 to merge with Monkstown Community School. The new school is called Abbey Community College. ^{[1] [3]} In June 2017, the former school was completely destroyed in a second arson attack, ^[3] which was then demolished in 2018. ^[4] As of March 2024 ^[update] the former site was being used for housing development. ^[10]

References

1. Elder, Duncan (20 August 2015). "Video: Newtownabbey Community High pupils celebrate GCSE success". Northern Ireland World . Retrieved 14 July 2025.
2. Weir, Peter (12 December 2016). "List of EA schools and school land and other sectors" (PDF). Department of Education. p. 9. AQW 8021/16-21. Retrieved 14 July 2025– via Northern Ireland Assembly.
3. "Arsonists 'destroy' former Newtownabbey High School site". BBC News . 18 June 2017. Retrieved 14 July 2025.
4. "Demolition of disused school buildings 'a terrible shame'". Belfast News Letter . 7 July 2018. Retrieved 14 July 2025.
5. John O'Dowd,  Minister of Education (28 September 2012). "Written Answers to Questions" (PDF). Official Report (Hansard). Vol. 77. Northern Ireland: Northern Ireland Assembly. col. 186.
6. "Education Authority". Department of Education . 19 June 2015. Retrieved 14 July 2025.
7. "New site for 'burned out' school". BBC News . 20 July 2009. Retrieved 13 July 2025.
8. "Two schools damaged by arsonists". BBC News, UK, Northern Ireland. 31 July 2006. Retrieved 13 February 2013.
9. Torney, Kathryn (24 November 2012). "The religious divide in Northern Ireland's schools". The Guardian . Retrieved 14 July 2025.
10. Campbell, Niamh (9 March 2024). "PSNI investigating racist and sectarian graffiti at Co Antrim housing site". Belfast Telegraph . Retrieved 14 July 2025. They have been written on the walls of an Apex Housing development, which will see the creation of 111 new homes and is being built on the location of the former Newtownabbey Community High School.