| Established | 1992 |
|---|---|
| Type | Integrated secondary school |
| Location | Stradreagh Gransha Park Derry Co. Londonderry BT47 6TG Northern Ireland |
| Local authority | WELB |
| Students | 940 |
| Colours | Navy, Maroon & Yellow |
| Website | www.oakgrovecollege.com |
Oakgrove Integrated College is an integrated secondary school based in Derry, Northern Ireland. The all-ability school was founded in 1992 with the hope of integrating young people from both sides of Northern Ireland's religious divide and giving all of its students 'self-esteem'.
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The first roots of Oakgrove were in an informal meeting between several teachers and parents on the separation of children, on academic, gender and religious grounds.[1] It was agreed that Derry should have an integrated college and primary school. Up to this point, despite being the second largest urban area in Northern Ireland, the city had done without.
This informal meeting went onto several formal ones, which laid the foundation of two new schools in the city: Oakgrove Integrated Primary School and Oakgrove Integrated College.
The college was founded in September 1992 and is the 17th integrated school in Northern Ireland. The fledgling institution moved into half of an old hospital building in Gransha Park, beside Strathfoyle on the northern outskirts of the city. The college only offered first year ('year 8') education during its first year of operation, with eight teachers. On opening, it had a total of 72 students.
In the following year the school took over the second half of the building and added 7 new teachers and a new year. This continued year on year, adding 7 new teachers and building temporary classrooms until 1998 when the school covered all seven years of secondary education for its eight-hundred pupils.
In September 2004 the school finally moved into its new state-of-the-art building, built close to the old school.
Oakgrove is recogni sed as a UNICEF rights respecting school.
Northern Ireland is viewed as a divided place, a country where adults and children can be separated on religious, social and political grounds. Oakgrove, and other integrated institutions like it have been used in the country to try to offer a middle ground for parents who want their children to learn in a safe, and unbiased environment.[2]
The foundations at Oakgrove are based on the ethos that everyone is equal and has the right not to be discriminated against in any way, particularly with regard to religious or cultural identity, gender or ability. The college aims to do this by developing the self-esteem of each member of the school's community. This underpins both the academic and the social education of the students.
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