Residents invited to have their say on new school in the borough
LOCAL people are being invited to have their say on a new school in the borough, established by and for members of the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church community.
They can share their views on plans for a new OneSchool Global (OSG) campus on land to the north and west of 723 and 723A Antrim Road, Templepatrick at a consultation event on Thursday.
On behalf of OSG, Hydepark Educational Trust has launched a public consultation on the proposals ahead of submitting a planning application to Antrim & Newtownabbey Borough Council, as revealed in the Antrim Guardian last week. The consultation is running from 9th September 2026 for a period of 12 weeks.
OneSchool Global (OSG) is a network of schools which was established by and for members of the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church community. OSG serves students from primary school through to senior school and is a truly global school network with over 120 campuses in 20 countries. The plans come in response to ‘a growing need for a high-quality, modern, campus which is centrally located in the region for OSG pupils’.
The new campus would replace the two existing OSG schools in Newry and Knockloughrim. It would see both school communities come together on one site and ‘help to reduce the significant additional costs associated with operating and maintaining two separate sites, in turn allowing resources to be focused further on educational provision’. To achieve ambitions for a new future-ready school campus, the plans will see the repurposing of land off Antrim Road, Templepatrick, currently occupied by an old farmhouse.
With a ‘sensitive and modern design which reflects the rural character of the area,’ the plans would create ‘a state-of-the-art learning environment’ to serve the 93 OSG pupils which currently attend the two other schools in Northern Ireland. Alongside a new modern school campus for junior and senior pupils, the proposals include a sports hall, external sports pitches and outdoor play area.
If approved, the scheme will support a number of new jobs through construction, and on completion the campus is expected to create a number of new roles which will be available to local people ‘from all walks of life’. Roles at OSG ‘offer excellent career pathways and innovative training and development opportunities, including a sector-leading teacher training academy which offers free in-house training to equip teachers for success in an increasingly digital world.’
Andrew Walker, on behalf of Hydepark Educational Trust, said: “We’re pleased to be bringing forward these proposals for a new OSG campus in Northern Ireland. The plans come in response to a growing need for a high-quality, modern, campus which is located centrally within the region. Currently OSG pupils attend two schools in Newry and Knockloughrim. “However, these locations do not best meet the needs of the more local, rural, community. In response, we have identified the site off Antrim Road, Templepatrick, as the ideal location to deliver a new combined campus. We have worked hard to carefully design these plans to reflect the rural character of the area, whilst still delivering a campus we can be proud of.
“By bringing both school communities together here on one site, we will be able to create a stronger and more sustainable school for the future, ensuring our resources are concentrated where they can have the greatest impact on pupils. We are now keen to hear the views of local residents and encourage anyone interested to review the proposals and share their feedback as part of the consultation.”
During this time residents will be able to view the proposals online and submit their comments.
A public consultation event will also be held on the 22nd October at Double Tree by Hilton Hotel, Templepatrick, where members of the project team will present more detail on the proposals and answer questions during the times of 12-2pm & 4-7pm.
More information about the proposals, event, and details of how to take part in the consultation can be found at: http://www.gravisplanning.com/live-consultations
All feedback received during the consultation period will be carefully reviewed before a planning application is finalised and submitted to Antrim & Newtownabbey Borough Council.