Strabane principal looking forward to where his journey leads

DESPITE his retirement being just around the corner, the day I sit down with soon-to-be ex-Strabane Academy principal David Hampton, he’s still beavering away.

“It’s all go you know?” he says. “School life is cyclical. I’m busy reviewing this school year and yet next year is kind of taking over. I’m saying goodbye to year 14 students, inducting year 8 students, having leavers lunches; it’s all go. I feel a bit like Janus, the Roman goddess of the gate who looked both ways.”

This historical reference is only one of many peppered throughout our conversation. There are also quotes from Nelson Mandela, Dwight D Eisenhower and even Jimmy Greaves.

A Banbridge native, David came to Strabane 33 years ago to be a PE teacher at what was then Milltown Grammar School on the Liskey Road, rising to become the principal of Strabane Academy following the merger with Strabane High School in 2011. These days he lives happily with ‘his local lady’ Grainne and three boys.

Taking me back to his early years in Co Down, David explains, “I grew up on a small farm, and I do mean small, where dad was a farmer. There was never an expectation that I would follow him into the life, the farm was too small for that, just to bring money into the house. I passed the 11+ and the word was, ‘Oh, our David is going to the grammar school, he’ll be alright.’”

Despite his grammar school status, David admits that education didn’t take, which is kind of incongruous for a man who would become a principal.

“I didn’t do well at school, at least not academically, ‘drifting’ through it all. I didn’t go mad for learning, just got the bare minimum. My love lay in sport; I was and still am a huge rugby man. I loved roaming the fields around where I lived, shooting, fishing, helping out with the hay. I was just a country kid.”

Due to his love of the outdoors, David initially applied for a degree in forestry after leaving school which, unsurprising for him, he didn’t get accepted into. It took inspiration from two of his teachers which drew David towards what would become his chosen profession.

“There was a teacher called Mr Livingstone, who everyone called ‘Dead Rock’ who was my PE teacher and Mr Pritchard, my biology teacher. I got on great with these teachers, they were just really great characters, you know? They saw me as a bit of a rogue, never cheeky, just roguish. Both coached rugby so they saw a lot of me. Science was my second thing so I applied to do a science degree in University of Ulster.”

It only took until Christmas of first year to realise this wasn’t for him.

With one option left, David then applied for Stranmillis College to become a teacher. Later on, during travelling with friends in the South of France, David got the call to say, “You got in David, come home.” Specialising in PE David reflects how sport has played a huge part in his life, not just on the field of play.

“Ever since I began playing rugby at 11, sport has been a mainstay. Even in terms of my leadership, it’s all about teams. I always loved being in a team, being part of that team. Early on, I wouldn’t have expected to be the leader of that team, but at least a member. I love all the collegiality; winning and losing together as a whole. In terms of my teaching style, it’s also evident; I wanted students to take ownership, along with my contributions, of their education so we’re getting the result together as a team. We have a great ethos in Strabane Academy and I’m very proud of that.”

Division in education has always been present in the North, although David admits this has never entered his mind.

“To be honest, I was always a bit oblivious to the whole idea of educational segregation and even religion. My chosen subject of PE lends itself to integration so it never crossed my mind-set, again going back to the idea of teams. At Strabane Academy we’re ‘integrated with a small ‘i’ but even at that we’re the sixth most integrated school in Northern Ireland as of 2023 data.”

One of the burning questions I have is: Why Strabane?

Slightly laughing, David quickly answers: “A job.” Elaborating, he adds, “Everyone else in my class wanted to stay in Belfast. I’d only ever passed through Strabane on my way to Donegal so didn’t really know it but, I came up with my aunt, got a cuppa at the Milltown service station, interviewed and the rest, as they say, is history. I had two great people in Raphael McGranaghan and David Wilders who really helped me settle in.”

Beginning teaching on the cusp of what would become known as the ‘ceasefire generation’ of pupils – interestingly a term David never heard before we speak – I wonder: Did teaching move away from the ‘them and us’ of previous years?

“In terms of the school, more pupils were beginning to come to Milltown from the local community which helped people get used to the fact that we were here,” he says.

“Like all places, there will be extremes but the majority of Strabane people are very welcoming and very culturally strong.”

In recent years the old Liskey Road school site has fallen into dereliction and was rife with anti-social behaviour. However, David credits community workers with ameliorating the situation, after concerns were raised.

“We’d have kids who would have come in and did a bit of wrecking at times, but community workers like Paul Gallagher were instrumental in helping ease the problems. The issues they heard were ‘there’s nothing to do here’ rather than anything sectarian. It was true then but I don’t think so now. I think we’re very lucky here, at least in terms of schools.”

So what have been the highs and lows of those 33 years in Strabane?

“Highlights include the really wonderful memories of my time here – the school we’re sitting in – from the planning stages right through to design and the build itself. A huge challenge was the merger; trying to convince staff, teachers, pupils that this was the way forward due to the different school cultures. I was untried as principal. (It was) basically ‘put your faith in me but I’ve never done this before.’ But no one wants to take a risk on their kids’ education. I wouldn’t say I fully convinced everyone but there was no other choice.”

He continues, “I have to mention a few wonderful mentors I had; Lewis Lacey and David Todd, two former principals. David was a very old-school, traditional, decent man and Lewis was a caring, pastoral man with staff and pupils who gave me the encouragement to become vice principal. I also want to mention my father-in-law Pat McColgan who was inspirational to me.”

So why exactly is David hanging up the mortar board?

“My dad had just passed when turned 50, which made me reflect on mortality if nothing else. I’ve always told anyone looking for guidance that ‘you always regret thing things you don’t do’ so I wanted to pursue other avenues. Sometimes you just need to see where the journey leads and chase those goals. I believe I’ve achieved all I wanted in education but now it’s time for other things.”