The Council for Catholic Maintained Schools has today announced that a Development Proposal to establish a 26-place part-time statutory nursery unit at Our Lady’s and St Mochua’s Primary School, Derrynoose has been approved by the Minister.
The nursery unit will ensure continuity of learning from Nursery to P7 in Our Lady’s and St Mochua’s Primary School, with an anticipated first intake in September 2026.
It will also deliver access to specialist staff and statutory SEN services for pre-school children in a high-quality learning environment.
The unit at Our Lady’s and St Mochua’s will replace the provision currently offered by Little Acorns Playgroup.
The management committee of Little Acorns indicated its intention to discontinue operating the playgroup and supports the establishment of a statutory provision at the school.
Today’s decision follows extensive consultation with parents, staff, governors and the wider community.
The nursery unit will ensure the continuation of early years provision within the Derrynoose community, where there are currently no pre-school providers with available places within a five-mile radius.
Most children who attended Little Acorns transition directly to Our Lady’s and St Mochua’s PS each year, demonstrating the strong local demand for pre-school provision.
The school, which has been recognised as a Changemaker School – one of only eleven on the island of Ireland and the only one in Northern Ireland – brings a strong ethos of innovation, inclusion and community partnership to its work.
Eamonn Broderick, Chief Executive of CCMS said: “I am delighted with today’s announcement, which adds another nursery unit to the CCMS family of schools, and increases the Catholic Maintained provision on offer in Derrynoose.
“A new nursery unit at Our Lady’s and St Mochua’s PS ensures that local children can benefit from the high-quality education and school leadership evidenced here, from pre-school age.
“This announcement is the culmination of many months of collaborative work between CCMS Officers, the Board of Governors, the school leadership team and the wider community in Derrynoose.”
Gary Farrell, Principal of Our Lady’s and St Mochau’s PS commented: “This is fantastic news, not only for Our Lady’s and St Mochua’s PS, but also the wider community. Parents will be able to engage with the school at an earlier stage in their child’s education, and siblings will be able to attend school together from pre-school right through to the end of Primary 7.
“We are excited to welcome our new pre-school children to Our Lady’s and St Mochua’s in September, as they start their school journey with us.”
