By Conor Sharkey

IT won't just be a new school the pupils of Holy Cross College have to look forward to over the coming months, but also a new principal.

Current vice-principal Maria Doherty will take over as head of the school from Sean Bradley, who retires in January.

And with the countdown to the opening of what is hoped will become one of Northern Ireland's foremost educational facilities reaching the final stages, Mrs Doherty said she is well prepared for the challenges ahead.

"I'm delighted with my appointment. I know it is a big challenge, but I'm up for it. I've been vice-principal at Holy Cross since the amalgamation in 2004, so the training I've had for that will stand me in good stead for what lies ahead," she said.

Reacting to the feedback she has had from colleagues since learning of her appointment two weeks ago, Mrs Doherty said it has been overwhelming.

"It has been so positive. Everyone, both staff and members of the public have been congratulating me. The feedback has probably been the one thing I've enjoyed most since being offered the job."

While no doubt bringing more than 1,500 teenagers together under the roof for the first time does bring with it a degree of uncertainty, Ms Doherty remains confident that it will work and work well.

Looking to the immediate challenges and indeed the ongoing row over academic selection that she will face in her new post, the former Convent Grammar teacher explained: "The present principal Sean Bradley doesn't leave until January so that is a very big plus for me because I will be able to shadow him and see how everything works.

"The biggest challenge will obviously be having all the pupils on the one campus, but my main goal will be just trying to run a good school and keep the pupil numbers up over the next few years and hopefully even build on them. It is very do-able and Holy Cross has a good staff and big parental support, so I can see it going from strength to strength.

"Also, we are very lucky that we are a bilateral school. Whatever challenges come along, we are already established so as to be able to offer an education to pupils of all abilities. Other schools may have hurdles to over come in the near future, but we are one of the lucky ones.

"Overall, I'm looking forward to what lies ahead and I think the opening of the new Holy Cross school will prove positive for everyone involved and for Strabane," she said.