Visit of Mr Mervyn Storey-Chair to the Board of the Education Authority NI.

On Monday 2nd June 2025, the Board of Governors of Saintfield High School met with Mr Mervyn Storey, Chair to the Board of the Education Authority NI, alongside Principal, Miss Sarah-Lucy Hynds, and Vice Principal, Mrs Victoria Derby, to discuss the future development of the school. 

Saintfield High School has been consecutively oversubscribed for more than thirty years with demand rising to 91% above the approved Admissions number for Year 8 enrolment. Currently, for the next academic year, the school is oversubscribed by 66%, and 47% on first preference applications alone. 

Although the school has been granted a temporary variation to enrolment for the last four academic years (including for 2025-2026), Miss Hynds stated that ‘a permanency to a change in approved admissions and overall enrolment must be granted with urgency – for over thirty years Saintfield High School has not been permitted to meet the needs of its community on a permanent basis. Our temporary variations have made a significant impact upon our families within the wider area, but we must be able to grow permanently to cement this impact for the benefits of the young people we serve’. 

Miss Hynds added that, ‘it is an exciting time in Saintfield High School’s history…for the new academic year we have our highest enrolment yet, and our school community simply goes from strength to strength – the Department of Education NI and the Education Authority NI recognise and understand this, and now is the time for action’. 

It is clear that the Saintfield High School community can continue to look forward to a very bright future, indeed.

Music Department

A big thank you to the following pupils for their dedication to the Music Department during their time at Saintfield High School:-

Emma Pentland, as a keen soloist and trumpet player, as she leaves to go to a new school.

Erin Hillier and Connor Rainey for 5 years devoted service in the school band on trumpet and saxophone.

Marni Cullen for 5 years singing with the choir and all her lovely solos in our events.

James Gallagher for his drum skills during his 5 years at Saintfield High School.