'This is what we are about
We plant seeds that one day will grow.
We water seeds already planted, knowing that they hold future promise.
We lay foundations that will need further development.
We provide yeast that produces effects far beyond our capabilities.
We are prophets of a future not our own.'

Archbishop Oscar Romero

Welcome to our school web site. In it we have tried to give you a true flavour of the many facets of life in our school. I hope you will find it interesting, entertaining and informative.

Saint Patrick's Primary School is a large, co-educational school situated in the Pennyburn Area of Derry City. It was formed, in January 1994, following the amalgamation of Saint Patrick's Infants, Saint Patrick's Girls and Saint Patrick's Boys Schools which had functioned as independent institutions on the same site since 1954. The surrounding area has a mixture of both private and public housing, but a significant proportion of the school's intake comes from outside the parish boundaries.
 
Staffing
Currently the school population is 867 pupils and it is staffed by the Principal, Mr Eamonn Devlin, plus 36 teachers. Of these, one teacher works within our Special Needs department and both Vice Principals, Mrs McSheffrey and Mrs McConnellogue, work full time in support of teachers and their work in the classroom.

Ethos
Saint Patrick's is a Catholic school and the staff is committed to the promotion of an ethos throughout the school which reflects Christian values and the development of "a caring community which effectively develops the academic, personal, social and spiritual potential of each child."

Standards
Over the years, Saint Patrick's has developed a reputation for the setting of high standards, both in terms of educational achievement and in terms of behaviour, among its pupils. A well developed programme of after school activities offers the children ample opportunity to develop skills in games and sports. It is an outward looking school and regularly supports the work of charities both at a local and international level. Strong links exist between the school and various welfare projects in Africa, South America and elsewhere.

A recent Department of Education inspection report February 2016 concluded:

"The quality of Pastoral Care is outstanding and forms an integral part for the provision of learning and teaching.  There is a strong sense of community in the school, which is underpinned by a distinctive caring and supportive ethos."

New School
Recently a new school has been constructed on the site of the old. The new building incorporating state-of-the art facilities was officially opened by Bishop Seamus Hegarty in November 2004 exactly 50 years after the first school building was opened on this site.