Welcome to Damhead Primary School
Welcome to our school website. We hope it gives you a real flavour of life at Damhead Primary School.
Damhead Primary School is a controlled primary school situated on the outskirts of Coleraine. Established in 1933, our current school building opened in 2003 and provides a modern, welcoming environment where children are encouraged to learn, grow and thrive.
We currently have one class for each year group and are fortunate to employ a dedicated team of 9 teachers and 14 classroom assistants. Every class benefits from the support of at least one classroom assistant, helping us to provide a nurturing and child-centred learning environment. At Damhead, children are at the heart of everything we do, and we strive to ensure that their needs, interests and wellbeing are central to all aspects of school life.
We promote a strong Christian and caring ethos and endeavour to foster a culture of mutual respect, teamwork, self-discipline, honesty, empathy and responsibility throughout our school community. We believe that happy children, supported by valued staff and engaged parents, achieve the best outcomes and enjoy the most positive learning experiences.
To support our families, we provide a wraparound care service from 8.00am until 5.00pm each day. Children can attend our Breakfast Club from 8.15am to 8.45am and Hop Club from 2.00pm to 5.00pm. In addition, we offer an extensive programme of after-school activities including football, multi-skills, netball, hockey, rugby, cricket, Crafty Kidders, construction, gymnastics, drama, woodwork and cookery.
Music and drama play an important role in school life. The Causeway School of Music provides specialist tuition in a range of instruments including flute, violin, trumpet, guitar and ukulele. We are also delighted to have Mrs Helen Hutchinson as part of our music team, leading singing, choir and piano instruction.
Performance opportunities are plentiful at Damhead. Each year we stage a range of productions including the P1-P3 Nativity Concert, the P4-P5 Drama Production and our major P6-P7 Show. Children from P1 onwards also have the opportunity to participate in both the Coleraine and Portstewart Music and Speech & Drama Festivals.
We are proud to be a Model PATHS School. The PATHS (Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies) programme is embedded throughout the school and has a significant positive impact on the emotional wellbeing and holistic development of our pupils. This internationally recognised programme helps children develop self-control, emotional awareness and effective interpersonal problem-solving skills.
We have also achieved the Autism Impact Award, recognising our commitment to creating an inclusive environment for autistic pupils. This involved extensive staff training and adaptations to
our school environment to ensure all children feel supported, understood and valued. In addition, we have achieved Level 1 Take 5 accreditation and are currently working towards Levels 2 and 3.
At Damhead Primary School, we are continually seeking opportunities to enrich our pupils’ experiences and broaden their horizons. We value our strong links with the local community and are always eager to embrace new opportunities that enhance learning and personal development.
Thank you for taking the time to visit our website. If you would like to arrange a visit or find out more about our school, please do not hesitate to contact us on 028 7035 3641 or email jlaverty481@c2kni.net.
We look forward to welcoming you to Damhead Primary School.
Kind regards,
Mrs Jill Laverty
Principal