The open enrolment application process for P1 entry in September 2024 opens at midday on 9 January 2024 – and closes at the same time on 26 January 2024.
We are excited to continue to build on our very successful enrolment pattern this coming year and very much hope that you will choose our school for your child’s Primary school journey.
You will find information on our 2023 Open Days in the SCHOOL NEWS section of our website!
More information about our Admission Criteria will be published here when it has been approved by Education Authority.
Andrews Memorial, a controlled, co-educational Primary school, was established by the South Eastern Education and Library Board in 1973 and has served the community of Comber and district since that time. The current enrolment is around 370 pupils and the present staffing is Principal, Vice Principal and sixteen teachers. Ancillary staff includes the school secretary, caretaker, classroom assistants, cleaners, lunch-time supervisors, a school crossing patrol and meals staff.
The main school building, opened in 1979, contains fifteen classrooms, an assembly hall, a computer suite and a separate dining hall. The Andrews Memorial Hall is an integral part of the school and is not only used extensively by the school, but by a variety of community groups. The hall was built in memory of Sir Thomas Andrews, designer of many famous ships at Harland and Wolff’s yard in Belfast, including, of course, the Titanic.
The school aims to provide a broad and balanced curriculum, providing wide-ranging opportunities for all the children within a wholly inclusive environment. Teaching practice embraces new developments while maintaining qualities and standards from the past, which discerning parents still hold in high regard.
The experienced and committed teaching staff is organised within the management structure to meet pupils’ needs through a Leadership Team, Curriculum Area Teams, year group teams and teachers with special responsibilities relating to the curriculum, resources and the safeguarding of pupils.
The Board of Governors delegates the running of the school to the Principal and staff, but retains overall responsibility for its curriculum provision and financial management. The Governors take a keen interest in the school and in promoting its place in the wider community. A copy of their latest Annual Report is available here:
We are conscious of the need to extend the pupils and to enrich their experiences. To that end, educational visits to local centres of interest are integral parts of the curriculum. The older children have opportunities to take part in residential trips within and beyond Northern Ireland.
The school has a strong musical and dramatic tradition and offers a wide range of after-school and sporting activities. Details of these are outlined in our Prospectus.
Excellent relationships exist between the school and parents. There is a flourishing Parent Teacher Association which is extremely supportive and is untiring in its efforts on behalf of the school.
For more detailed information on the school and how it functions, along with its development targets, you can access our School Policies and the School Development Plan (SDP) via the Policies & Planning page. The SDP operates on a 3 year cycle. The Curriculum Action Plans are published, too, alongside the school’s policy on Learning and Teaching; for a full copy of the Plan, please contact the school (the version on our website is reproduced without the Appendices). Additionally, should you require a ‘hard’ copy of any policy documents, please contact us and we will be happy to oblige.
The latest full 3 year plan for 2017-20 is published on the website. During the pandemic, annual curriculum plans and COVID management strategies were drawn up for internal monitoring purposes as guided by the Department of Education. It is hoped that the next full 3 year SDP will run from September 2023 to June 2026, with the first year focusing at least in part on celebrating the school’s 50th year in operation – exciting times ahead we hope!