PICTURE GALLERY: Ballycastle High School Prize Day

Mr Chairman, Mr and Mrs Brown, former and present students, ladies and gentlemen, it gives me great pleasure to report on yet another year of success and progress at Ballycastle High School. This has been a year which has seen a significant number of changes in the school. One of which has resulted in me standing before you today in a very different role than the one I occupied last year- but more about that later.

Increasingly the educational agenda within Northern Ireland has placed great emphasis on school improvement, efficient use of resources and increasing choice for pupils. This educational agenda is also shaped by wider government policies and priorities. Some recent proposals have been aimed at developing cohesion and sharing in order to build a shared and better future for everyone in Northern Ireland. Key aspects of this include developing the relationships with young people and the communities they live in. Longer term objectives include moving our society on, to build a shared future which moves away from the need simply to manage the differences that exist.

The principles highlighted in these policies and proposals are well established in Ballycastle High School. We continue to drive forward a vision which benefits not only our pupils and our school, but the community of which it is part. This year has witnessed us laying foundations to build for future success and choice for individual pupils in our school. But while we plan for the future, we are here today to celebrate the successes of the present – and there are many!

At A Level : Claire Cusick achieved an A* in Religious Studies, and grade A in History and Geography. Kirsty McCurdy gained an A in Biology, Geography and an A* in History. These were exceptionally pleasing results as this year was the first time the grade A* was awarded at A level to denote excellence. Congratulations also go to Tori Reilly who sat 4 A levels and achieved A grades in two of her subjects. While these individual performances are worthy of note, the vast majority of our students in the Year 14 have cause to be well satisfied and congratulated as once again a high percentage of our students qualified themselves for Higher Education Institutes and Universities. 69% of our Year 14 students achieved 3 or more A levels at grade A*-C. This was well above the percentages achieved by similar schools in Northern Ireland using the most recent data available and was a 12 year high for the school.

At As level, over 90% of the Year 13 or Lower 6th students have pass grades in at least 3 subjects. Thirty students in Year 13 sat the examinations and Lauren Morrison who sat 4 AS levels, achieved 3 A grades. Courtney Logan, Megan McAlonan and Dorothy Nicholl have A grades in two subjects, while Becky Clarke, Danielle Moore, Alice Poots, Joleen Simpson, Amber Smyth and Claire Wilson have an A grade or equivalent in one subject at this level of study.

Thirteen subjects had a 100% pass rate for Ballycastle High School Students at AS level. These were Business Studies, Drama, English Literature, Geography, Health and Social Care, History, Information Technology, Music, Physics, Religious Studies, Science, Media and Construction.

Effective learning and teaching in Ballycastle High School is supported by equally effective learning and teaching in Cross and Passion College and the Northern Regional College. Tribute must be paid to Mrs Ward and her staff for the professionalism and courtesy shown to High School students when they study at Cross and Passion College. Not only does it allow us to increase the choice of subjects offered to students, but the relationship between our schools enables the promotion of a shared future based upon mutual respect for each others differences, while retaining individual identity. Indeed this year saw us develop additional opportunities for a group of pupils in Key Stage 4 to take subjects offered on a partnership basis, and a number of High School pupils chose to study Drama GCSE in Cross and Passion College – which they are thoroughly enjoying.

We put significant effort into preparing our pupils for the partnership and in this the Spirit of Enniskillen Trust is crucial. The experience, enthusiasm and professionalism of staff and volunteers from the Spirit of Enniskillen cannot be overstated. Their contribution to this key aspect of our school and to the community it serves is worthy of high praise indeed.

Moving on to GCSE results, this year saw the figure for pupils achieving 5 grades at A* to C rise to 60%, and was the highest percentage figure for 10 years. The figure when we look at 5 GCSEs at grades A* to C including English and Maths – which increasingly is significant to the Department of Education - was 41% and places Ballycastle High School well above the Northern Ireland average for schools similar to ourselves. Twenty students have 9 and in several cases 10 GCSEs or equivalent at grade C or better. They are Jonathan Bartlett, Laura Bartlett, Jamie Boyle, Kathy Brogan, Holly Chambers, Annie Kilgore, Danielle McAlister, Mark McAlister, Megan McAuley, Joe Clarey, Julie-Ann McCook, Niall McCracken, Laura McDowell, Jordan McGarvey, Jodie McGrath, Hayley McLean, Charlotte Millar, Cheryl Miskelly, Emma Robb and Zoe Sproule. Special congratulations go to Jonathan Bartlett and Zoe Sproule who have 7 A or A* grades and Julie-Ann McCook who has achieved 10 GCSEs or equivalent at grade A or A*. Many others should be rightfully proud of their performance and many have returned to study for A levels.

94% of our Year 12 pupils gained a grade in 5 GCSEs and once again in Ballycastle High School no-one left without a GCSE qualification. I feel our curriculum provision of 19 courses with a range of vocational and academic subjects enables the talents of all our pupils to be developed so that they reach the best they are capable of. As we shall hear later, this year we have laid the foundations to increase the numbers and range of courses on offer to our pupils at Key Stage 4 for the 2010/2011 academic year.

We endeavour to cement further the close relationships and successful collaboration between ourselves and Cross and Passion College, and to build on a vision of a shared, non-threatening, mutually dependent future. To aid in this process, both schools submitted a bid to the Shared Education Programme funded by The Atlantic Philanthropies organisation and the International Fund for Ireland, which is supported by Queen's University Belfast. The highly competitive bidding process resulted in our schools securing substantial support to fund a three year plan. Hopefully, you will here more about this on future prize days. I would like to thank Celia Gormley from Cross and Passion College for her hard work and assistance on this project.

I would now like to turn from curricular to the extra-curricular life of the school, and once again this year, pupils had the opportunity of taking part in a wide range of activities.

On the sports field – girls hockey was once again very popular. The Year 8 1st XI won the Coleraine and District Hockey Tournament held on the 30th of September. They defeated Dalriada, Dunluce, Limavady High and Ballymoney High School. In the Coleraine District League, the 1st XI were second in the league, the Under 14 XI and Under 13 XI were winners and joint winners respectively, with team captains Tori Reilly, Arlene McMullan and Laura Todd deserving credit for the leadership shown.

Hockey practice for boys and girls takes place twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Mr Kearney, Mr McPeak, MsHarpur and Miss Elliott all coaching teams of pupils who are very happy to be taking part and enjoying the sport.

It is this dedication by staff and pupils that allows a small school such as Ballycastle to compete at a high level of schools hockey. Again this was evident in boys hockey with the First XI competing in the Prior Shield, where they defeated Royal and Prior College Raphoe, Methodist College, Regent House, Antrim Grammar School, RBAI and lost narrowly to Campbell College in the Quarter Finals of the competition. The Under 14 XI entered the Ferris Cup competition. They were again defeated by Campbell College. So better luck next year lads!

The Under 16 XI were Taylor Cup Finalists, but unfortunately they were defeated by Portadown College. During the competition they defeated Ballyclare High School, Wellington College, Boys Model, Nendrum College, Laurel Hill – Lisburn, and Belfast Royal Academy. The semi-final match was against Armagh High School and after a closely fought match Ballycastle ran out winners 3-2. So by any account this was a very successful year for our hockey teams and testament to the commitment of our staff and pupils.

This year also saw the introduction of a new netball club which was started by Mrs Casey and Mrs Wood. They practice after school on Wednesdays and played matches against Cross and Passion College and Dunluce. We look forward to further developments of the club next year.

The Trampoline Club coached by Ms Harpur reached new heights this year! They entered the Northern Ireland Schools Trampoline Championships, achieving second place and winning a place in the UK schools trampoline finals. Held in Hull in mid January, Ms Harpur and Miss Brown travelled with Alice Poots, Amy Gibson, Lauren Henry, Rebecca Whyte and Amy McCallum. They performed to a high standard and although they didn't win any prizes, they thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

On the 9th of February, twelve pupils attended a Cross Country event at Coleraine, with everyone giving of their best and Lauren Henry and Callum McNeill running very strongly.

The summer term normally sees attention turning to athletics. This year we had a large number of pupils enthusiastically participating in track and field events. The school competed in the NEBSSA athletics meeting at Coleraine on the 8th of May and also at a regional event at the Antrim Forum.

Sports Day was its usual success with a high level of participation and competition which culminated in several school records being broken.

The summer term was also an opportunity for the Hill Walking Club led by Miss Brown and Mr McClelland to explore the highways and byways of the Giant's Causeway, Rathlin Island, the Antrim Hills and a visit to a souterrain for some underground exploration.

The Duke of Edinburgh's Award Scheme continued to run with several Sixth Form pupils working towards their Gold Award, which carries currency with certain university admission panels and develops a wide range of skills and qualities.

The range of non-sporting activities was equally wide and varied. Between September and March the Extended Schools project ran again. This is significant to school, and we continue to be the lead school in a cluster of eight schools with Mrs Wilkinson being the facilitator. There were 14 activities on offer including the Gardening Club organised by Miss McBride and Mrs Wilkinson. This club produced an amazing number of flowers and bedding plants which festooned the school and indeed many gardens in the North Antrim area.

Scripture Union continues to grow in school at Junior and Senior Level. It delivers its scriptural focus through a varied programme of visiting speakers, bible study and visits. Co-ordinated by Mr McClelland and Miss Elliott and supported by many other staff it meets regularly at lunchtimes and this year enjoyed a weekend at Castlerock.

The Fit Club met two mornings each week from 8.30am to 8.55am and a school photography club organised by Mr Farrell and Miss Brown gave pupils much opportunity for creative expression.

On the 16th and 17th of December, pupils showcased their creative talents in our school play. A Credit Crunch Carol, written and directed by Mr Rafferty proved to be a huge success. This superb production was greatly enjoyed by cast and audiences alike and I express thanks to all staff who ably and willingly supported Mr Rafferty.

From September to March the Youth Club continued to meet in the school and our thanks go out to Tracey Walker, leader, for her sterling efforts throughout the year.

Once again the Dance Club continued with a very faithful following of pupils. Meeting during two lunch times mid-week and on a Friday afternoon after school, the dancers were trained by ex-pupil Emma Smyth.

A very popular and successful science club continues to meet at lunchtimes in school. Led by Miss McBride and Mrs Stewart, the club has engaged in activities such as making and launching rockets, and building and flying model aircraft as part of the Flight Challenge Competition. It's not as dangerous as it sounds, but is very exciting for the pupils.

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. A bit of light hearted fun was enjoyed by many staff and pupils in the Fantasy Football League organised by Mrs Dalzell and Mr Kearney.

Again this year pupils had the opportunity to participate in a weeks work experience at Ballykinlar army base. They also benefited throughout the year from a range of external speakers, visits and careers events organised by Miss Hutchinson. Year 13 pupils gained substantial career insight from placements in a wide range of work situations. A number of visits and talks organised Mrs Topping helped with university choices. Mrs McNay advised Year 10 pupils in relation to GCSE choices and we are indebted to Yvonne Lesley from the Careers Service for her role in careers guidance.

We recognised our role within the wider European Community by celebrating the European Day of Languages on 30th September. A special menu was available in the school canteen – with a European flavour. Quizzes were organised for language classes and a display in the library celebrated language and cultural diversity. Mrs Clarke organised the celebrations in school.

A range of charities were supported during the year. 91 shoe boxes were filled for the Samaritans Purse Appeal and our thanks goes to Mrs Olive McMullan for her efforts co-ordinating this work in school. Other charities to receive support included Rock Ministries, Good Shepherd School in Nepal, MacMillan Cancer and the Haiti earthquake appeal. Monies were raised by non uniform days and other fund raising events.

In relation to fund raising, we thank and recognise the important contribution made by the Parents Association. Under Chairmanship of Mr Craig Whyte, the Parents Association provided funds for Sports and Prize Day prizes, and also to support the work of the Spirit of Enniskillen Trust in School. This included assistance for Dorothy Nicholl, Claire Wilson and Rebekah McFarland who travelled to Maine USA, Berlin and Cyprus having been selected after a very competitive selection process to participate in residential visits to develop leadership skills.

In October members of Sixth Form competed in the Rotary Club Youth Leadership Development Competition. The winner of the school heat was Amanda McCook who went on to win the district the district heat in Ballymoney and represented the school at the Northern Ireland Finals in November. Again I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Rotarians who organise this competition. It provides excellent opportunities for young people to develop their leadership skills.

Also in November pupils took part in the Ballycastle Credit Union poster competition. Tamara Gibson was winner of the 11-13 competition, and the 14-17 years section joint winners were Rebecca Boyd and Emma McCook. Well done to these pupils and to the Art Department.

We were delighted at the very end of November to co-host with Cross and Passion College the Ballycastle Drama Group's production of STARS. Written and directed by Damien Gorman, the production had an excellent week of playing to full houses.

Our desire to forge community links beyond our local area was again demonstrated by our participation in the Civic Link Exchange Programme with Chanel College in Dublin. The programme aims to help our young people become informed and responsible citizens. This was our fifth year of involvement with Mr Kearney and Miss Brown leading the programme and the two enjoyable if exhausting exchange visits in December and May.

More interaction with our local community partners was apparent when public speaking skills were developed in the Soroptomists public speaking competition, and also in April when four pupils entered Moyle District Council heat of the Environmental Youth Speak public speaking competition. Lucy Wilmont was the outright winner and represented the school at the Northern Ireland finals. Miss Black aided pupil participation in both events.

Staying with the Environmental theme, the school Eco-Council supported by Miss Wilson, planted 30 broadleaf native trees in the school grounds. The trees were supplied by Conservation Volunteers and I know Mr Harpur enjoyed helping with this project.

The hard work and relentless nature of the pace of 6th Form life was aided somewhat by an educational visit to London in February. Mr Kearney, Mr Rafferty and Mrs Topping led this educational and cultural visit. It was an opportunity to widen horizons and promote a unity among our sixth form and if the photographs were anything to go by it was a most enjoyable time for all concerned.

A Sixth Form mini-business activity was supported by the Young Enterprise organisation with the assistance of Miss Hutchinson and Mr Richard Murdock from the Northern Bank. The business known as Karma, produced a book containing a substantial range of innovative recipes and was very successful with stocks selling out quickly at a trade fair in Ballymena.

The latter stage of the academic year saw the Science Department enter a team for the Northern Ireland Young Scientist Competition. Emma McCook, Tamara Gibson and Francesca Graham represented the school and their topic was Scientific Spuds! This involved using potatoes to manufacture a bio-degradable plastic. They came away with three awards including the opportunity to attend the national finals held in London in February 2011.

I hope this report of many of the cultural and educational experiences enjoyed by pupils at Ballycastle High School demonstrates to you how a small school can be successful. When supported by hard working pupils, staff, parents and occasionally with external assistance, it can result in a huge range of achievements. These are not just here in school, but locally, nationally and indeed internationally. I sincerely believe we have a school which we can all be very proud of.

As I indicated at the start of my report, great emphasis is now placed on school improvement, effective use of resources, increasing pupil choice and potentially achieving the vision of a shared future. As we continue to make that vision a reality in Ballycastle for an increasing range of pupils, we cannot do it in isolation. So I would like to recognise and praise the work of our partners at the Northern Regional College and Coleraine Area Learning Partnership for their support in organising and delivering an extensive range of courses that our pupils benefit from. I would also like to recognise the hard work undertaken by the staff at Ballycastle Community Workshop, who currently deliver our Occupational Studies course.

The practical assistance, support, training and advice from the various departments of the North Eastern Education and Library Board have been invaluable throughout the year.

I now report on staff changes. Mr Willie McBride retired as caretaker of Derganagh House, and his retirement marked the end of an era. Willie was and is a true friend of Ballycastle High School.

Mrs Lucy Millen joined our staff to cover a maternity leave in the Music Department for Mrs Elliott who I'm pleased to say had a baby boy. Mrs Millen proved to be a very diligent member of staff and her expertise was particularly apparent at the time of our school play.

Mrs Martin from the English Department was also blessed with a baby girl during the year.

Mrs Palmer who taught in our Music Department moved away from the area. Her husband, the Rev Palmer moved to another parish. Rev Palmer was a Governor of the school during his time in Ramoan Parish, and we wish them well in their new surroundings.

It will be no surprise for you to hear that we have had one other significant change of staffing from the start of this academic year. School Principal Mr Harpur decided to retire and duly did so on 31 August 2010. As Headmaster for twelve years, Mr Harpur's tenure saw a constant drive for academic excellence in the school. An analysis of examination results for the school over the period shows a year on year improvement for much of that time. His leadership, I feel was characterised by a firm but fair approach to pupils and staff. His inherent intellectual abilities and insightful pragmatism characterised a style of leadership that inspired confidence and respect. His legacy is a school on a sound footing in terms on enrolment, academic achievement, pastoral care and finance. His vision for the creation of a school rich in media and ICT resources, has benefited many pupils.

We wish him well for his retirement from school and we know that he will still be fully engaged in his other love – farming. He is currently enjoying that timeless dream of aspiring retired teachers – namely a holiday abroad in September!

On a more sombre note I would like to mark the recent death of Mr Dennis Jagoe who was Head Master of Ballycastle High School from 1968-1974. An able and caring man, and an outstanding Principal – his legacy survives to this day in Ballycastle High School. It was good to see him able to join us in April when we dedicated the McMaster Hall in memory of another, sadly deceased outstanding teacher, namely ex-Vice-Principal Colin McMaster.

This year saw the election and appointment of a new Board of Governors to the school. This has resulted in a degree of change in membership and role. We are fortunate to have retained very experienced individuals and gained some new, enthusiastic and also very experienced people.

Mr Dillon stood down as Chairman and Reverend Barton was elected to the position. Mr Dillon's time in the chair has been characterised by meticulous attention to detail and absolute professionalism in all that he did. I know Mr Harpur appreciated his counsel greatly.

Being a school governor demands a considerable time commitment as well as carrying a heavy decision making responsibility. I would like to express gratitude to governors past and present for all their work.

As former Vice-Principal and now Principal I wish to place on record my appreciation for the advice and encouragement I have received from staff in school. Their hard work and support is much appreciated, as is that of the Senior Management Team; Acting Vice-Principal Mrs Stewart, Mr Farrell and Mrs Kerr.

Our school building is kept tidy and clean by our caretaker Mr Tompkin, Mr Micheal McKillen and his team of cleaners. Our groundsman Mr Joey Hill does an excellent job as does our cook-in-charge Mrs Adele Elder and her staff who put a lot of effort into making mealtimes an enjoyable experience.

We have a team of experienced Learning Support Assistants, supervisors and ancillary staff, I wish to pay tribute to their efforts on behalf of the pupils they support. A school is built on effective team work, and I believe in Ballycastle High School we have an effective team. Thank you to you all.

Mr Chairman, as we celebrate today the successes of our students, I believe we can look forward with confidence to a successful future which is shared with our partners and is effective and efficient.

Thank-you.