Ballyvester School, 244 Killaughey Road, Ballyvester, Donaghadee, Co. Down

Ballyvester School is a single-storey school building of 1906 situated on the south side of Killaughey Road in the hamlet of Ballyvester, Donaghadee. It is a small but well-preserved example of the Edwardian Free style with slight Art Nouveau influences, possibly designed by Vincent Craig.

The building is constructed with a rough-cast and red brick façade beneath a slated gabled roof. The north-facing front elevation features a prominent lean-to projecting porch to the left. The porch gable contains an arch-headed entrance with double timber-sheeted doors, surrounded by a large expanse of dark Dumfries sandstone that also serves as dressing for two small narrow segmental arch-headed windows with steel frames flanking the door. A carved name plaque is set above the entrance in sandstone. The east and west faces of the porch each have a similar small window. The porch has a tall red brick base, with the upper portion finished in rough cast. To the immediate right of the porch rises a chimney that incorporates a small sandstone bellcote. Further right on the front façade are two tall six-paned windows.

The east and west gables each display three tall windows arranged vertically to the centre of the gable, with the centre window being the tallest. Curved label moulding runs above the entire grouping. The rear elevation has six similar windows arranged in pairs and singles: a pair, a single window, then a pair, then another single. Between the right pair and the adjacent single window stands a small lean-to boiler house with a timber-sheeted door. At the far right is a chimney breast similar to the front example but stopping at the verge without rising to a full stack.

The roof is gabled and covered in Bangor blue slates with red clay ridge tiles. Two small air vents pierce the ridge. The roof has a slight overhang at the verge and eaves, with exposed rafter tails and simple curved barge boards. Cast iron rainwater goods are fitted throughout.

The school is surrounded by associated structures. In the playground behind the building is a rectangular single-storey play shelter with a mono-pitch roof. The shelter is open to the side facing the school and is constructed in red clay brick with a Bangor blue roof. In the corner of the rear playground stands a small rectangular outbuilding, possibly a former toilet block or boiler house, finished in rough cast with two louvered openings on one side and a gabled Bangor blue roof.

Ballyvester School was built in 1906 with funds donated by Henry Cooke Craig, brother of Lord Craigavon. It replaced the original school on Ballyvester Road, which was built in 1842 and is now a dwelling house. The building remains largely intact and continues in use as a school.