Kirkinriola PS, Ballymena

National Poetry Day 2024 and Poetry at KPS

National Poetry Day was celebrated by pupils at Kirkinriola Primary School today, Thursday 3rd October 2024.

In August 2024, Mrs Crawford, our school Literacy Leader delivered some excellent Poetry training with all of our teaching and non-teaching team. Everyone left feeling really enthused and teachers have been exploring different poems in classes throughout the school.

We also have plans to create and release a Kirkinriola Primary School poetry book to mark this 95th Anniversary year of our wonderful school so watch this space.

Poetry can have hugely significant benefits to children's mental wellbeing, confidence, aptitude for learning and their ability to develop empathy

Recent research by the National Literacy Trust in to Children, young people and poetry in 2024 found that:

Almost 1 in 2 (48.8%) 8 to 16-year-olds are currently engaging with poetry in some form – whether reading, writing, listening to or performing it – meaning that over half are missing out on the benefits.
Children and young people who read, watch or listen to poetry identified significant benefits for their wellbeing, confidence, aptitude for learning and empathy.
Interestingly, more children and young people who receive free school meals say they engage with poetry in their free time than their peers who do not receive free school meals, both in terms of consuming (32.6% vs 20.9%) and creating (18.3% vs 11.3%) poetry.
There is a significant decline in interest among older children, with only 1 in 6 (17.3%) young people aged 14 to 16 engaging in their free time compared with 1 in 2 (48.7%) of those aged 8 to 11.

Therefore, we would also encourage you to take time to enjoy and share poems with your child.

This might be by:

Sharing your favourite poem or asking family members to tell you about their favourites.
Reciting a poem from memory that you learned in your childhood.
Sing or say traditional rhymes together. (National Literacy Trust have an excellent bank of songs and rhymes available here: https://wordsforlife.org.uk/themes/songs-and-rhymes/ )

P4-7 Play Performance 2024 - Treachery at Traitors' Quay

Sports Day 2024

Sun Safety Day: Health Minister Visit

Cancer Focus NI and the Minister for Health, Minister Nesbitt visited us today to teach pupils about sun safety.

Every class engaged in Sun Scientist workshops.

Click here to find out more about the Minister's visit to Kirkinriola Primary School Today.

Thank you to Wrays

Kirkinriola Primary School...come join in.

P4-7 Mystery at Magpie Manor Performance 2023

P4/5 Trip to Magilligan Field Centre 2023

P4/5 had an amazing time visiting EA Magilligan Field Centre, Magilligan Point Beach and Martello Tower. They measured the wind speed and light strength at different points to decide where best to place renewable energy sources like wind turbines and solar panels. They combed the beach for shells and made beach art and then explored Martello Tower.

P5 Girls Tag Rugby

Well done to the P5 girls who took part in the girls Tag Rugby bonanza at Eaton Park. Your behaviour was exemplary and you did us proud! A special try was scored which was the icing on the cake! 🏉

W5 Shared Education Trip 2023

Shared Education St. Patrick's Day 2023

World Book Day 2023

Chinese New Year 2023

We celebrated Chinese New Year with our Shared Education partners St. Paul's Primary School.

We had a blast watching amazing performances, dressing in Chinese clothes, hearing Chinese stories, making Chinese crafts, playing a Chinese instrument and sampling Chinese food.

P.E. with Playball Antrim

Cookery Club

Computational Thinking Shared Education October 2022

P1-3 Shared Education with St. Paul's today. The children were creating lots of patterns and rockets during their Computational Thinking session.

P4/5 Shared Education outdoor session today had a Computational Thinking theme. Children were creating algorithms for their partners to complete an obstacle course, building a den, playing snakes and ladders and line football. Some amazing team work everyone, well done!

Electricity STEM workshop with P5-7

Sports Day 2022

My Name Tags

Breaking News

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Mrs Adams's P1/2 class had a surprise visit today from Eamon at McKillop's Spar. ...

Privacy Notice 2024.pdf

3rd Sep 2024

Healthy Breaks Policy .pdf

2nd Sep 2024

More News

Letters and Documents

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