Lisneal principal takes up new role at Strule campus

The principal of a school at the centre of a row over funding for a football pitch is to take up a new position with the Department of Education.

Michael Allen, of Lisneal College, Londonderry, has accepted the post of education adviser for the Strule Shared Education Campus in Omagh.

In a letter to parents on Monday, Mr Allen said recent events were "in no way related to my decision to accept the position".

The post is a secondment to the Department of Education (DE) for three years, with the possibility of a fourth year, and was publicly advertised in October 2024.

Last week Mr Allen told BBC NI's The Nolan Show he considered quitting after it emerged the school was allocated funding to upgrade its football pitch.

The Belfast Telegraph reported the funding along with details of a meeting the school held with Education Minister Paul Givan and colleagues of his from the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP).

In his letter to parents Mr Allen, who was appointed in 2015, said he would be replaced temporarily by an acting principal.

"After being in post for 10 years, it feels like the right time for someone with new ideas and energy to take Lisneal College forward," he said.

BBC News NI has previously reported that Mr Allen had been offered the role at the Strule Campus following a successful interview for the post.

In his letter, Mr Allen added: "It is unfortunate that my secondment to work as part of the Strule Education Campus has come at a time of immense attention on our school and I am disappointed that BBC News Northern Ireland decided to report my connection with the Strule Campus before I had time to inform you, my students and staff."

The Belfast Telegraph first reported that the school received funding for a new pitch after the meeting with Givan and others from the DUP, despite not making a direct application for the money.

It has further reported on examples of other schools in the city which did not receive money for required maintenance.

The Education Authority (EA) later said the project had been planned for several years and followed "normal minor capital works procedures".

During a fractious meeting of Stormont's education committee earlier this month, Sinn Féin assembly member Pat Sheehan said he was not criticising the school but told Givan the pitch seemed "to be a pet project for your party and it's beginning to smack of cronyism".

Givan rejected the claims and said he "didn't bring any influence to bear" on the pitch upgrade and the funding decision was made by the EA.

Mr Allen, who was appointed a MBE for services to education last year and who was named head teacher of the year in 2021, told Lisneal parents he would be taking up his new role in "the coming weeks".

The Strule Campus is the biggest school building project ever planned in Northern Ireland.

It will involve more than 4,000 pupils being taught in six schools with some shared facilities.

It was originally due to open in 2020, but the project has been beset by delays and uncertainty over funding.

Mr Allen was interviewed for the position at the Strule Campus in February.

In a statement, a spokesperson for the Department of Education (DE) said: "I can confirm that Michael Allen has been seconded to the post of education advisor to the Strule programme. A start date for Mr Allen is still to be finalised."

Meanwhile the EA published a review of minor works including details of the decision making on the Lisneal pitch on Monday.

It said the pitch was one of six priority one projects which have now all commenced and which were included in the EA's bid for 2024/25 funding in January 2024.

The EA said the pitch had been subject to planning and procurement processes, adding it now estimated that the total cost would be £600,000.