By Róise Collins

AS Letterkenny’s population grows, so does the demand for inclusive education and at the centre of it all is Errigal College.

With surging enrolments, a growing demand for co-education and a forward-looking STEM programme, their future is bright but it depends heavily on the delivery of a new school building.

In his five years at the helm Principal Danny McFadden has seen the school undergo a dramatic transformation in both size and reputation.

In recent weeks, the school welcomed 130 first year students, marking its largest ever intake.

When Mr McFadden first took on the role in 2020, there were just 26 first years and total enrolment stood at just over 200.

Today, it has grown to nearly 700 students.

This growth isn’t limited to incoming students, it has also seen a significant number of transfers. This year alone 60 students joined into other year groups.

This increase comes after a recent expansion and the addition of a modular building.

However, even with these measures, they’re struggling to keep pace with projected enrolments.

Mr McFadden expects numbers could reach close to 800 by next year.

That creates its own challenges.

“We are finding it very very tight… we are not able to cope with the numbers,” he said, highlighting the difficulty in organising timetables and allocating classrooms.

A new school building has long been in the pipeline and Mr McFadden is eager to see progress.

It will include 27 general classrooms, 19 specialist classrooms, two special needs classrooms, a special education needs suite, a multi-purpose hall, staffroom and administration rooms.

The new school campus will be developed on the green-field site which currently caters for Errigal College’s football and GAA pitches.

Planning issues continue to stall the project, but Mr McFadden is calling on the community and elected representatives to help push it forward.

“We need our new school campus and we need everybody on board.”

He pointed to the growing population in Letterkenny, where “every school is packed to capacity.”

He also highlighted the growing demand for co-education, which Errigal College proudly offers.

“I know from information evenings and talking to parents that this is what they want,” he said.

He’s already had parents of children in fourth class approach him looking to book places in advance.

Even though he had expected increased enrolments from their feeder primary schools, including Scoil Cholmcille and Scoil Mhuire gan Smál (both of which have recently transitioned to co-ed), he did not foresee such a rapid increase.

As co-ed classes in the primary schools advance into secondary school age, Mr McFadden says Letterkenny must be ready.

“I think it is very important that we are ready to take in these numbers.”

If the new school isn’t delivered Errigal College could see their enrolments capped.

“Where will those students go?” asked Mr McFadden.

While acknowledging the work of nearby Coláiste Ailigh, which offers co-education through Irish, Mr McFadden emphasised Errigal’s unique cultural diversity. The school represents students from over 40 different countries.

The school building dates back to 1987, and in 1989 a young Danny McFadden entered as a first year student himself. Much of his personal and professional life has been shaped within these walls.

After a teaching stint in Errigal College and time at Deele College in Raphoe, he returned to lead the school as principal.

“I’ve invested hugely in the school because I want it to be the top school in Letterkenny, and it is moving in that direction.”

Mr McFadden is proud of how far the school has come. He has worked tirelessly to listen to the community and shape the school around what parents and students want.

Errigal College is one of 15 schools under the patronage of an Education and Training Board (ETB) in Donegal, offering a co-educational, multi-denominational learning environment.

The school’s ethos centres on care, equality, community, respect and excellence in education.

“Every single decision we make, every policy we implement, goes back to those core values.”

Those values are clear from the moment you enter the school. Teachers can be seen laughing with students in the halls. Mr McFadden himself is a visible presence, chatting with students by name. The respect between staff and students is obvious and mutual.

Errigal College is a DEIS school, and its reputation has grown rapidly across Donegal. Mr McFadden credits his dedicated staff.

“They come in early, they stay after school,” he said, highlighting the wide range of extracurricular activities available.

Every lunch hour, the school hall is buzzing with activity, all facilitated by teachers volunteering their time.

The findings of a recent inspection back this up.

The report highlighted that all interactions between teachers and students were “very caring and respectful in supporting their wellbeing.”

Students reported feeling a strong “sense of belonging” within the school’s open and inclusive culture.

Errigal College has made STEM education a major priority, with a strong focus on science, technology, engineering and maths.

They are currently the only school in Letterkenny offering engineering, and they recently introduced computer science. This direction was shaped through close collaboration with their feeder primary schools. Over the last two years, they have invited younger students in for workshops in their state-of-the-art “maker’s space”.

This lab, developed in partnership with Optum, gives students the chance to apply what they’ve learned in class to real-life scenarios.

Primary school students are introduced to robotics at an early age, with workshops helping build STEM interest from the ground up.

Older students gain exposure to real-world careers through work experience with Optum, and many are guided toward degree programmes at ATU Donegal, the local university.

That plan is already bearing fruit. More girls are now taking STEM subjects and this week, a group of students was selected to represent Ireland at a prestigious STEM event in Brussels – for the second year in a row.

Encouraging students to stay, study and eventually work in Donegal is a core part of the school’s long-term vision.

“Keeping people in the county is very much part of our plan,” Mr McFadden said.

This year three students also received scholarships worth €20,000 each, including one offered by Optum to a student studying Nursing at ATU Donegal.

Since taking up the principalship, he has handed out over 20 scholarships, including the prestigious Naughton Scholarship awarded to students achieving the top results in the country.