Our Story

Scoil na Seolta is an integrated Irish-medium school in east Belfast, with our first P1 children beginning their journey in our Primary School in 2024.

Scoil na Seolta has been built from the success of Naíscoil na Seolta, our integrated Irish-medium nursery school, which started life in 2021.

The wider bunscoil project emerged from the pioneering work of Linda Ervine, Turas and Cairde Turas, promoting the Irish language in east Belfast. Setting up the Naíscoil and the Scoil were the next natural steps for the growing number of people who wanted to access Irish-medium education in the area. 

The name, Scoil na Seolta, means school of the sails. This reflects our connection to shipbuilding in east Belfast, while also representing our children sailing off on their educational journey together.

The Naíscoil set sail in October 2021, with a nursery school, based in Christian Fellowship Church in east Belfast. In September 2022, the nursery moved to a Presbyterian Church in Knocknagoney.

In September 2023, our first intake of preschool children began, with places fully funded by the Education Authority.

From September 2024, we will have our first cohort of Primary One children beginning the Bunscoil. Northern Ireland’s first Integrated Irish-medium school.

We are excited to offer your child the opportunity to take their first steps towards bilingualism. And we feel privileged to welcome your family into our dedicated and thriving, school community. 

We are funded by Foras na Gaeilge. We work with Comhairle na Gaelscolaíochta, the Northern Ireland Council for Integrated Education (NICIE) as well as Altram (Irish-medium early years education body).