Education Minister Paul Givan marked the achievement at a topping out ceremony at the Strule Shared Education Campus, where principals from the six participating schools joined project partners and community representatives to celebrate progress on Northern Ireland's flagship shared education scheme.

The campus, located on the former Lisanelly Army Barracks site, will co‑locate six schools and offer state‑of‑the‑art shared facilities for teaching, learning, sport and wider activities, while safeguarding the individual ethos and identity of each school. When finished, it will advance collaboration, reconciliation and shared education for around 4,000 young people.

Construction has moved at pace since work began on site a little over a year ago, with the project remaining on track to welcome pupils and staff in September 2028.

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Speaking at the event, Education Minister, Paul Givan said: "Today marks an important milestone for the Strule Shared Education Campus and is a clear demonstration of the progress being made on this flagship project.

"Strule represents a powerful commitment to shared education, bringing young people together in a modern, purpose-built environment that supports excellence in education through collaboration and cooperation.

"I am delighted with the pace of progress onsite and I look forward to seeing the campus move through the next stages of delivery as we work towards welcoming pupils and staff to Strule in 2028."

Arvalee School and Resource Centre was completed in 2016, with the Department of Education awarding the main contract to the Woodvale Lowry Joint Venture in August 2024. Construction of the remaining schools and shared facilities then commenced in February 2025.

The six schools set to be based at Strule are Arvalee School and Resource Centre, Christian Brothers Grammar School, Loreto Grammar School, Omagh Academy Grammar School, Omagh High School and Sacred Heart College.

Today's topping out marks a key milestone in the construction programme, reinforcing confidence in delivery to the stated timeline. Alongside building works, preparations are under way to help schools, staff and local communities transition to the new shared campus.