Glengormley Primary School

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A detached multi-bay two-storey brick primary school, built 1935, and located on the south side of Church Road, Glengormley. Symmetrical arrangement consisting of (at front) double-height central hall flanked by taller two-storey square-on-plan wings (slightly set back); (at rear) rectangular-on-plan two-storey classroom block linked to front by two-storey corridors; central courtyard is partially infilled with single-storey flat roofed block; modern single-storey flat roofed extension to east; additional wing (built c.1960) to west, and linked by corridor.

Roofs are hipped artificial slate; half-round ridge and hip tiles; front block has external dormer access hatch at rear; rear block has a central copper clock tower. Deep overhanging timber sheeted eaves; half-round cast-iron rainwater goods; square hopper heads having raised dates ‘1935’. Walling is Flemish bonded brown brick over projecting plinth with chamfered cast-concrete coping; soldier coursed eaves band. Windows are uPVC replacements (variously divided into large panes); splayed brick voussoirs to ground floor; soldier coursed heads to first floor; concrete sills.

Principal elevation faces north. Hall block is three windows wide; each has cast-concrete apron panel and is flanked by shallow projecting three-quarter height pier with geometric cast-concrete head. Twin flat roofed porches project from the abutting planes of the wings and hall blocks; each has a double-leaf three-panelled door and transom light; stepped cast-concrete surround; accessed by two concrete steps with raised string walls.

The side elevations are identical with the exception of later extensions (detailed as appropriate). Each consists of flanking wing at north, outer elevation of linking corridor, and side elevation of south (rear) block. The flanking wings have three windows to each floor (central window wider) at side elevations. Linking corridors are glazed to each side at first floor, and partially glazed to ground floor; that to east is abutted by large flat-roofed extension. Rear block is detailed below.

Rear block is symmetrical and faces south. Each floor is divided into four sets of three windows to each floor, arranged about two full-height vertical concrete surrounds framing glazed stairwell windows. Upper and half-landing windows are divided by a frieze with triglyph detail; ground floor contains two small toilet windows set in concrete panel and surmounted by plain concrete canopy on scrolled brackets. Side elevations are each abutted by a flat-roofed projecting porch and have single window at north side of first floor. East porch remains in original form with double-leaf timber doors set in cast-concrete surround with affixed lettering: ‘BOYS’. West porch is now extended by linking corridor to 1960s extension. North elevation overlooks courtyard and is abutted by linking corridors and single storey central block; external access to open parts of courtyard via double-leaf timber panelled doors. Exposed section of irst floor is lit by equally spaced windows.

The central block is lit by continuous row of metal-framed windows to each side.

Setting

Set parallel to the road and fronted by tarmac parking area bounded by painted steel railings on brick piers and plinth wall; tarmac playground at south.

Roof: artificial slate
Walling: brick
Windows: uPVC
Rainwater goods: cast-iron

Historical information

The Belfast Newsletter records that the school was designed by Ferguson McIlveen. The Irish Architectural Archive states that it was designed for 400 pupils with an assembly hall 50x30ft, built by w. Logan & Sons, Belfast.

The Department of Education’s website describes the school as ‘one of the oldest schools in the Newtownabbey area’ and claims it dates
from the mid 1930s.

The east wing corridor contains a limestone Gothic lancet trefoiled window head with voussoirs, each voussoir is inscribed with a letter spelling ‘Carnmoney’; ‘National School’ is carved to lower section.

The legislative background to school building in the early twentieth century is the 1923 Education Act, which made the transition from the old national school system to the public elementary school system. The Act provided for elementary and secondary schools to be transferred to the control of the local education authority and for the building of new schools by local authorities. The legislation saw a significant rise in school attendance from the mid 1920s, further increasing the need for new schools.

References:

Secondary Sources

1. Belfast Newsletter. 11/08/34 & 28/09/35
2. Federation of Women’s Institute of Northern Ireland http://www.wini.org.uk/directory/?module=Item%20Detail&itemid=
05336989-99df-4391-925d-42e7cc8ff42d&directoryid=9bf5d2f2-0ac4-4a52-bddf-9a6ae595d2f3&directorytabid=4
(Accessed 25/11/08)
3. Department of Education-Schools List.
Available From:
(Accessed 24/11/08)
4. Department of Education: Background to the Selective System of Education in Northern Ireland, accessed at
http://www.deni.gov.uk/22-ppa-burns_chapter1.pdf (Accessed 26/11/08)
5. Irish Architectural Archive. “Dictionary of Irish Architects” [Internet Source] Available from: Accessed 12/05/09.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Glengormley Primary School is a small inter-war brick primary school located in Glengormley Village. The construction of the school in 1935 is indicative of the developing urban profile of Glengormley at this time, and also presents an early example of the innovative approach to school design which was central to mid-century educational reform. However, it has been compromised by the replacement of its original windows, which are the principal feature of the style, it is not an outstanding example of the type and there are other, better examples listed.

General comments

This building was originally recorded in the wrong ward as HB21/14/001.