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'It's important that our kids enjoy coming here' - award for special school

Robbie MeredithEducation and arts correspondent, BBC News NI
News imageBBC Miriam Donnan is wearing purple glasses, she has long brown hair. She is wearing a black shirt. Behind her are books on a shelf in a classroom. BBC
Miriam Donnan is the principal at east Belfast special school, Mitchell House

It has been a "momentous" 2025 for an east Belfast special school, named one of the most nurturing in the UK.

Mitchell House school has more than 100 pupils aged from three to 19 with a range of needs and disabilities.

The school was awarded a UK-wide National Nurturing Schools Award in 2025 for the quality of care it provides for pupils.

According to the school principal Miriam Donnan, "there's so much more to education, so much more to our school, than just the academic".

"It's really looking at how happy, how safe the children feel in school, and really concentrating on their wellbeing," she told BBC News NI.

So classes in Mitchell House often begin with breathing and stretching exercises, or singing, getting the children relaxed and ready to learn.

News imageLana is in a classroom. She is wearing a pink jumper, she has a red lanyard around her neck. She has shoulder length brown hair. There is a shelf of books to her right hand side. And an open green door behind her with a person standing in the entry.
Lana said she enjoys singing and being a member of the choir

Lana, 12, told BBC News NI that Mitchell House was "really nice" and she especially enjoyed singing and being in the school choir.

"You learn and you're going to have fun," she said.

"We're all so unique and we learn differently," she added.

Lana enjoys exercise so it's fitting that PE is her favourite subject.

News imageCayden is sitting on a navy sofa. He is wearing a blue and white jumper, has black glasses on and short black hair. On his lap is a white dog with a harness around its outh.
Cayden, 12, says therapy dog Raia has changed how he feels about going to school

The school also has a therapy dog called Raia.

And according to 12-year-old pupil Cayden, Raia has changed how he feels about coming to school.

"She likes to come up and say hi to everyone," he said.

News imageChildren in wheelchairs are sitting in two lines in front of a poster. There is a woman behind them and double brown doors.
The east Belfast special school offers pupils a wide variety of experiences, including a choir

"She has made a really big difference to me," he said.

"I wasn't really keen on everything in school but now that she's here it's made everything a lot better. I love dogs.

"She is really kind and really supportive."

Opportunities

For Ms Donnan, that children enjoy coming to school is crucial, and the process to get a nurture award was rigorous.

"We had to demonstrate what we do on a day and daily basis with our children," she said.

"We had to demonstrate the physical aspects of our classroom, how we overcome the challenges of being in an old building that was never designed to be a school."

She said, while education is the core purpose, it's "really, really important that our children have a wide variety of experiences".

"Our pupils are social and love new people coming into school," she explained.

"For us, it's giving them as many opportunities as we possibly can.

"It's making sure than they have the full range of experiences during the school day."

Ms Donnan said that receiving the National Nurturing Schools Award had made it "a really momentous time" for Mitchell House.

"It's a real celebration for our school," she added.