Orangefield High School

For the Orangefield High School in Texas, see Orangefield Independent School District.

Orangefield High School was a secondary school in east Belfast, Northern Ireland. Formerly Orangefield Boys' Secondary School and Orangefield Girls' Secondary School, it became coeducational before it closed in 2014.

Notable alumni of the Boys' School include Van Morrison,[1] Brian Keenan,[2] David Ervine,[3] Gerald Dawe,[4] Walter Ellis, Eric Bell and Ronnie Bunting.[5]

Prior to closure, Orangefield High School had a student population of approximately 240 pupils from age 11 to 18.[6] The school offered a wide range of compulsory subjects such as English, Mathematics, Science that were required through years 8–12. The school also offered other subjects such as technology and design, home economics, information computer technology, media, music, geography, history, business studies, physical education and religious education.

In October 2012, it was announced that the school might close, due to student numbers falling and failure to meet academic targets.[6] The school's closure was confirmed in January 2014.[7] The school closed in June 2014 and was demolished by February 2017. Plans for the school's site are still unknown.

Prior to the school's demolition it was used as a film set for BBC drama The Fall in 2016.

  1. ^ Turner, p20.
  2. ^ Dunphy, Mark (11 February 2008). "Former Beirut hostage to appear at Ennis Book Club Festival". prlog.org. Retrieved 17 March 2020.
  3. ^ "David Ervin". saoirse32blogsome.com. Archived from the original on 17 May 2011. Retrieved 18 August 2008.
  4. ^ "Gerald Dawe biography". gerald-dawe.net. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 18 August 2008.
  5. ^ "My killing cousin". The Sunday Times. 19 February 2006. Retrieved 17 March 2020.
  6. ^ a b "Van Morrison's old school could be closed by next summer". Belfast Telegraph. 15 October 2012. Retrieved 8 March 2020.
  7. ^ Black, Rebecca (15 January 2014). "Future unclear for Belfast pupils as Orangefield High School is told to close yet Ashfield is refused expansion". Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 8 March 2020.