Desertmartin Primary School
TWO Co Derry primary schools are set to make history by becoming the first jointly-run church school in the North of Ireland.
Desertmartin PS and Knocknagin PS want to merge and be jointly managed by the Catholic Church and Church of Ireland.
Desertmartin is currently a Church of Ireland school, while Knocknagin is a Catholic Maintained Primary.
Jointly-managed faith schools are distinct from an integrated school.
The proposed new school would be faith-based and have a Christian ethos.
It would have a clear policy on how worship is conducted within the school, and how RE is taught.
The staff and boards of governors of both schools are behind the move, and parents of pupils are now being consulted about the plans.
If parents and the wider community are supportive, a development plan will then go to the Department of Education.
It will ultimately be up to the Education Minister Peter Weir to decide to allow the plan to go ahead.
Both schools have worked closely together on shared education projects for 10 years.
They already teach some classes jointly and their pupils take part in a number of shared activities.
The SDLP leader Colum Eastwood has also welcomed the proposals.
