Antrim Grammar School
Encyclopedia
Antrim Grammar School is the newest grammar school
in Northern Ireland
. It is situated in County Antrim
, within the North Eastern Education and Library Board
(NEELB) area.
The school regularly has Language Weeks where pupils from various cultures teach the rest of the pupils their chosen language. They also take many trips, including school visits to America, Iceland, Rome, Paris, Poland, Bolivia and South Africa. This work and its continuation helped to secure Antrim Grammar International School accreditation.
In recent years, Antrim Grammar has had contact with World Challenge
, a company specialising in taking young people on treks throughout the world. The first expedition from Antrim Grammar, was a 4 week trek in Bolivia
during July/August 2006. There are plans for another trip, this time heading to Vietnam
in 2009.
In 2008, The Sunday Times named Antrim Grammar School as the number one post-primary school in Northern Ireland . It was voted the best state school of the year 2009.
In September 2001, after several years of planning and preparation, a £7.5 million refurbishment and rebuilding programme commenced at Antrim Grammar School. The program was completed in January 2004. There were several phases to the work undertaken by the NEELB
, McCombe Brothers, Samuel Stevenson & Sons; and Williams & Shaw. Thanks to this upgrade, every department now has access to Interactive whiteboard
s and Information Technology
cluster areas , which make the learning experience a lot more enjoyable.
The school now has a new multi-purpose Learning Resource Centre
, with its computing and library
facilities. The Lecture Theatre, English
and Maths classrooms are equipped with interactive whiteboard
s and computers. Home Economics
and Art enjoy spacious, specialist teaching areas with extra study areas for Sixth Form.
The original building has been refurbished and modernised. The music
department has its own recording studio with specialist equipment and resources. The Science
rooms have been upgraded and computer access is available in every classroom.
The Sports Centre has opened in Autumn 2003, with its sports hall and a multi-gym.
pitches, two cricket
squares, three all-weather hockey
pitches, a 400-metre running track and four tennis courts, the school also has a new sports hall facility.
Antrim Grammar has built up a reputation as a sporting school. Summer 2007 saw the first rugby tour to South Africa
, where members of senior teams were able to play matches with South African schools. There have been other rugby tours to Rome
, Italy
and to Scotland
and they are planning a joint rugby and hockey trip, again to South Africa
.
Girls rugby has been recently introduced to the school, to much success. The girls team reached the final of the Schools Trophy, playing their match at Ravenhill
, prior to an Ulster
match.
Educating for life (valuing learning)
Developing a sense of community (valuing others)
Grammar school
A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and some other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching classical languages but more recently an academically-oriented secondary school.The original purpose of mediaeval...
in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
. It is situated in County Antrim
County Antrim
County Antrim is one of six counties that form Northern Ireland, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland. Adjoined to the north-east shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of 2,844 km², with a population of approximately 616,000...
, within the North Eastern Education and Library Board
North Eastern Education and Library Board
The North Eastern Education and Library Board is an organisation providing education and library services for the north-eastern Local Government Districts, Northern Ireland, in County Antrim and eastern County Londonderry...
(NEELB) area.
History
Antrim Grammar School was founded in 1974 to address the growing need of an increasing population in the Antrim area.Other
The school was accredited as an International School by the British Council . Four schools in Northern Ireland were accredited in 2006 although a number of other NI schools had already been accredited over the previous several years. This award is presented to schools for their work in promoting international awareness among students and staff. Previously the school has won numerous awards including the CICA award in 1994.The school regularly has Language Weeks where pupils from various cultures teach the rest of the pupils their chosen language. They also take many trips, including school visits to America, Iceland, Rome, Paris, Poland, Bolivia and South Africa. This work and its continuation helped to secure Antrim Grammar International School accreditation.
In recent years, Antrim Grammar has had contact with World Challenge
World Challenge
World Challenge is British worldwide expeditionary branch of Thomson Holidays with businesses in the UK, Asia Pacific, The United States and the Middle East, founded in 1987...
, a company specialising in taking young people on treks throughout the world. The first expedition from Antrim Grammar, was a 4 week trek in Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
during July/August 2006. There are plans for another trip, this time heading to Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
in 2009.
In 2008, The Sunday Times named Antrim Grammar School as the number one post-primary school in Northern Ireland . It was voted the best state school of the year 2009.
Modernisation
North Eastern Education and Library Board
The North Eastern Education and Library Board is an organisation providing education and library services for the north-eastern Local Government Districts, Northern Ireland, in County Antrim and eastern County Londonderry...
, McCombe Brothers, Samuel Stevenson & Sons; and Williams & Shaw. Thanks to this upgrade, every department now has access to Interactive whiteboard
Interactive whiteboard
An interactive whiteboard , is a large interactive display that connects to a computer and projector. A projector projects the computer's desktop onto the board's surface where users control the computer using a pen, finger, stylus, or other device...
s and Information Technology
Information technology
Information technology is the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications...
cluster areas , which make the learning experience a lot more enjoyable.
The school now has a new multi-purpose Learning Resource Centre
Learning Resource Centre
Learning Resource Centre is a term which is used in the United Kingdom to describe a type of library that exists within an educational setting such as Secondary Schools, Further Education Colleges and Universities...
, with its computing and library
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
facilities. The Lecture Theatre, English
English studies
English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language , English linguistics English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language (including literatures from the U.K., U.S.,...
and Maths classrooms are equipped with interactive whiteboard
Interactive whiteboard
An interactive whiteboard , is a large interactive display that connects to a computer and projector. A projector projects the computer's desktop onto the board's surface where users control the computer using a pen, finger, stylus, or other device...
s and computers. Home Economics
Home Economics
Home economics is the profession and field of study that deals with the economics and management of the home and community...
and Art enjoy spacious, specialist teaching areas with extra study areas for Sixth Form.
The original building has been refurbished and modernised. The music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
department has its own recording studio with specialist equipment and resources. The Science
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
rooms have been upgraded and computer access is available in every classroom.
The Sports Centre has opened in Autumn 2003, with its sports hall and a multi-gym.
Sport
The school's playing fields include three rugby unionRugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
pitches, two cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
squares, three all-weather hockey
Hockey
Hockey is a family of sports in which two teams play against each other by trying to maneuver a ball or a puck into the opponent's goal using a hockey stick.-Etymology:...
pitches, a 400-metre running track and four tennis courts, the school also has a new sports hall facility.
Antrim Grammar has built up a reputation as a sporting school. Summer 2007 saw the first rugby tour to South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, where members of senior teams were able to play matches with South African schools. There have been other rugby tours to Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and to Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
and they are planning a joint rugby and hockey trip, again to South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
.
Girls rugby has been recently introduced to the school, to much success. The girls team reached the final of the Schools Trophy, playing their match at Ravenhill
Ravenhill Stadium
Ravenhill Stadium is located in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It is used by Ulster Rugby. It has a normal capacity of 12,300 and is owned by the Irish Rugby Football Union.-History:The grounds were opened in the 1923/24 season...
, prior to an Ulster
Ulster Rugby
Ulster Rugby, usually referred to simply as Ulster, is an Irish professional rugby union team based in Belfast, representing the Irish province of Ulster, that competes in the RaboDirect Pro12 and also competes in the Heineken Cup...
match.
Ethos
The school has a number of values and aims it intends to uphold;Educating for life (valuing learning)
- All pupils will be provided with an excellent grammar school education, with a strong emphasis on high academic standards.
- As a modern grammar school, we will keep abreast of a changing world by providing selective vocational, technical, and practical courses, where these best suit our pupils’ needs.
- Pupils will be encouraged to develop skills and values, which will make them effective learners, and inquiring, thinking individuals who are prepared to take initiatives in life.
- Pupils will be encouraged to follow, and will be provided with, a broad, balanced, coherent and relevant curriculum.
- The habits of intellectual curiosity, reading, thinking, discussing, and problem-solving will be fostered to encourage lifelong learning.
Developing a sense of community (valuing others)
- Moral and ethical values will be fostered in individuals and within the school to create a desirable and necessary ethos for social integration and cohesion.
- Mutual respect and respect for others’ work and property will be required.
- Pupils will be encouraged to be committed, responsible and productive members of the school, and wider, communities.
- Pupils will be prepared to their full potential to lead fulfilled and purposeful lives as citizens.
Sports
- Mark AllenMark Allen (snooker player)Mark Allen is a Northern Irish professional snooker player. He won the World Amateur Championship in 2004. The following year he turned professional and took only three seasons to reach the elite top 16...
, professional snooker player, world rank no.11 - Zoe Brown, NI Commonwealth Games Pole Vaulter.
- Amanda Mogey, NI Commonwealth Games Table Tennis Player.