Roy Logan: Larne Grammar School celebrates service of retiring chair of governors

Mr Logan is a former pupil of Larne Grammar and continued his education at Trinity College and Queen’s University. He held the position of deputy director of the East Antrim Institute of Further and Higher Education, now part of the Northern Regional College.

After retiring from teaching, Roy was a policy advisor for four years with the former Learning and Skills Development Agency (LSDA NI), where he was responsible for advising the Department for Employment and Learning on issues affecting the further education sector.

As a former governor of both Moyle Primary School and Larne High School, Mr Logan brought a wealth of experience to the governing body of Larne Grammar, which he was appointed to in 2010. He became chair of governors in January 2014 and held this key leadership role until resigning from his position as a trustee governor in September 2023.

Throughout that time, he stayed true to his stated aim on becoming chair, which was to utilise the experience he had gained in education to “assist my fellow governors, the principal and senior staff, the teaching and support staff of Larne Grammar School to maintain and extend its long-standing reputation in the local community for excellence in teaching and learning. The pupils of the school are our collective first priority and we must ensure that they are given every opportunity to flourish and achieve whilst in our care”.

Paid Tribute

Thomas Sloan succeeds Mr Logan as chair of governors. Principal Jonathan Wylie paid tribute to Mr Logan and welcomed Mr Sloan’s appointment as chairman.

Mr Wylie said: “I would like to place on record my sincere thanks to Roy and recognise his distinguished and selfless service to both Larne Grammar School and the wider Larne community. The relationship between the chair and the principal is one of the most important within a school and I have been incredibly fortunate to have been able to spend the majority of my time as principal working so closely alongside him.

"He has volunteered his time freely and unsparingly and has provided me with wisdom, guidance and direction, along with strong yet gentle leadership to the governing body. He will be sorely missed within the board of governors and the wider school.

"Mr Thomas Sloan was the unanimous choice of the board to succeed Roy. Mr Sloan has been a member of the board of governors since January 2018, initially as a parent governor before becoming an Education Authority representative in 2022.

"He brings extensive business and leadership experience to the role from a long management career with one of the UK’s biggest retailers. I have every confidence in his ability to continue the fine work of his predecessor and I wish him every success in his new position.”