Ballyclare High School
Encyclopedia
Ballyclare High School is a co-educational, non-denominational grammar school
in Ballyclare
, County Antrim
, Northern Ireland
. There are approximately 1,200 pupils at the school, taught by around 90 teachers. It was opened in the 1890s in the village of Doagh
, a few miles south-west of Ballyclare. 1904 saw a move to Ballyclare itself, and in 1930, the school finally moved to its current premises on the Rashee Road in the town. In 2006, the school was awarded formal recognition as an Investor in People
.
Pupils from Form 1 to Form 3 obligatorily study English
, Mathematics
, History
, Geography
, Science
, Technology
, IT
, Home Economics
, French
, German
(French or German can be substituted for Spanish
in Form 3), Physical Education
, Religious Education
, Art
and Drama
(Form 1 & 2 only). At GCSE, pupils choose 7 - 10 subjects; English, Maths, R.E. (short course), a language and two sciences (Technology, Biology, Physicis and Chemistry) are compulsory. Pupils can then choose from Art, History, Geography, Business Studies, H.E., P.E., Additional Maths, English Liturature, Child Development and Full Course R.E. Subjects not previously studied that can be taken at GCSE level include Drama and Journalism
.
Those joining or returning to sixth form
at the school usually take four AS Level
subjects in their Lower Sixth year. Excepting timetable clashes, pupils can choose any four subjects they wish. At the end of the Lower Sixth year, pupils usually keep on three subjects to study at A2 Level (see Advanced Level (UK)#Curriculum 2000), though many keep on all four. Extra subjects offered only at A Level include Government and Politics
and Moving Image Art. Additionally, for the last hour on Thursday afternoons, the entire sixth form is timetabled for the "Options" programme, which enables pupils to undertake short, mostly recreational courses in a range of subjects including some languages (Gaelic
, Japanese
, Russian
and sign language
), first aid
and Young Enterprise
.
Traditionally, the grammar school has admitted most pupils in the Eleven plus exam A grade bracket within the NEELB board, and in 2010 ranked in the top 30 of UK schools at A2 Level.
Behaviour and discipline are important matters to the school: pupils are expected to work hard and succeed. Behaviour is of a generally good standard and it has a very low suspension rate compared to local grammar or comprehensive schools.
. Every year the school runs two carol
services at Christmas
. In April, there is an annual spring concert and every autumn the school runs its perennial theatrical performance (traditionally productions from Gilbert and Sullivan
which had included Iolanthe
and The Mikado
, but more recently Musical Theatre productions such as Les Misérables (musical)
and Guys and Dolls
). The chamber choir
frequently performs outside the school and has traditionally been very successful. Entry to the chamber choir is limited to singers from fourth form upwards following a successful audition, but junior (first to third form) and senior (fourth form upwards) choirs exist for anyone interested in singing and performing in the school's various musical events. Since the Millennium Concert (see below), a Past Pupils' Choir ("The Old Ballyclarians' Choir") has also existed. This was originally conducted by John Dallas, a long-term music teacher, but upon his retirement, past pupil soprano
Sheelagh Greer, who has made her career in music and singing, superseded.
The choirs and orchestra have performed three times to date in Belfast's Waterfront Hall
- for the turn of the Millennium (2000), for the school's centenary (2003) and in tribute to the retiring John Dallas (2006).
As well as its musical focus, Ballyclare High boasts a wide range and large number of extracurricular sports and activities such as IT clubs, language associations and junior and senior Scripture Unions. As well as fairly common activities such as rugby union
and debating, the school also runs less common clubs such as outdoor pursuits.
In rugby, Ballyclare has won the Ulster Schools Cup
once, in 1973. In 2008, 2009 and 2011, under the coaching of Mr Daniel Soper and Mr Gareth Shaw, the school's rugby team made it through to the semi-finals of the competition. The Medallion (under 15) team has won the Medallion Shield
on one occasion in 1990 when Coleraine Academical Institution
were beaten 8-4 in the final at Ravenhill
. The subsidiary Medallion Plate competition has been won four times in 1992, 1997, 1999 and 2003.
In hockey, the school used to perform well in boys' hockey, even managing to win the Burney Cup
in 1931 and 1935. Girls hockey has risen to prominence in recent times, with the 1st team reaching the Ulster Schools Cup final in 2007 only to fall to a narrow 1-0 defeat to The Royal School, Armagh
.
There is a 'house' system
in place, which mainly relates to internal sports. Four houses exist: Aiken, Brann, Dixon and Russell, however, the school tends to attach less importance to this system than some other schools.
These exceptions aside, girls in first to third year wear a navy a-line skirt. In winter, navy v-neck sweaters and navy tights are permitted. Ankle-high white socks must be worn at other times. In the case of junior boys, black trousers must be worn and black v-neck sweaters are permitted during winter.
Girls in the senior school must wear grey pleated skirts and senior boys can wear dark grey trousers (though black ones are still permitted).
Ties must be worn for all pupils. In first to fifth year, ties are diagonal stripes of the school's colours, red and navy. In Lower Sixth, pupils wear a tie that is mostly navy with intermittent, thin red stripes as well as a representation of the Ballyclare Mill which can be seen in the school's emblem. In Upper Sixth, the tie is different again: it is similar to the first to fifth form tie except the shade of red is brighter and the mill from school emblem is emblazoned on it in the same manner as the Lower Sixth tie.
There are rules governing shoes, coats, jewellery and other accessories. Red and navy striped school scarfs are, in theory, the only scarfs permitted, though lower and upper sixths who have been involved in the School Aid Romania programme are allowed to wear their red, blue, green and yellow S.A.R. scarves.
In January 2008 the school was criticised for suspending and then segregating a boy from other pupils because his hair defied the rules of the school's uniform code. The issue was taken to court and the judge declared that although "segregation was not part of the disciplinary policy" and "a lesser sanction should have been used" the school's uniform policy did not sexually discriminate against boys.
However, since the 1980s, major construction and renovation have taken place, greatly expanding the available space and upgrading the infrastructure.
In the last number of years, the school has gone through a number of technological and architectural changes. A new sixth form resource centre has recently been opened, as has a completely revamped version of the school's Williams Library. Ballyclare High has a number of extensive computer suites, that can either be booked by teachers for classes or used - at break, lunch, or during sixth formers' free periods - for private, independent learning and recreation. The school also piloted Northern Ireland's paperless exams, demonstrating its commitment to technological development. In March 2006, its application for funding to be a specialist school
in Information Technology was accepted by the Department for Employment and Learning
.
The school has had Smart Boards installed in every classroom (except several small rooms). This enables teachers and pupils to display and interact with a computer. This interaction could be a game, a quiz or a DVD, and of course the board can be used as a digital writing/drawing pad.
James McIlroy
Track and Field Athlete
The current (2011) principal is David Knox, who has had a long and respected career as an English teacher, including a tenure at Ballymena's
Cambridge House Grammar School
. Knox took up his post as Headmaster of Ballyclare High in 2000. Vice principals are Mrs McKay who joined the school September 2009 and Dr. Michelle Rainey and Mr. Trevor Martin were also appointed in 2008. Wilbert Hollinger retired from his post as a vice principal and Biology teacher at the end of June 2008.
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 Ballyclare
Ballyclare
Ballyclare is a small town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It had a population of 8,770 people in the 2001 Census...
, 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...
, 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...
. There are approximately 1,200 pupils at the school, taught by around 90 teachers. It was opened in the 1890s in the village of Doagh
Doagh
Doagh is a village and townland in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is in the Six Mile Water Valley about two miles southwest of Ballyclare. It had a population of 1,130 people in the 2001 Census....
, a few miles south-west of Ballyclare. 1904 saw a move to Ballyclare itself, and in 1930, the school finally moved to its current premises on the Rashee Road in the town. In 2006, the school was awarded formal recognition as an Investor in People
Investors in People
Launched in 1991 Investors in People is a business improvement tool administered by UK Commission for Employment and Skills and supported by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills ....
.
Academic matters
Due to the school's size, it can afford to offer a large range of academic subjects. Alongside traditional academic disciplines, the school also teaches more socially useful subjects such as Life Skills, European and Civic/Political Awareness, Citizenship and Health Education. In some cases, these subjects are blended in with pertinent traditional classes, but others have their own separate teaching time.Pupils from Form 1 to Form 3 obligatorily study English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, Mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
, History
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
, Geography
Geography
Geography is the science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes...
, Science
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
, Technology
Technology
Technology is the making, usage, and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems or methods of organization in order to solve a problem or perform a specific function. It can also refer to the collection of such tools, machinery, and procedures. The word technology comes ;...
, IT
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...
, 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...
, French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
(French or German can be substituted for Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
in Form 3), Physical Education
Physical education
Physical education or gymnastics is a course taken during primary and secondary education that encourages psychomotor learning in a play or movement exploration setting....
, Religious Education
Religious Education
Religious Education is the term given to education concerned with religion. It may refer to education provided by a church or religious organization, for instruction in doctrine and faith, or for education in various aspects of religion, but without explicitly religious or moral aims, e.g. in a...
, Art
Art
Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging items in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect....
and Drama
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
(Form 1 & 2 only). At GCSE, pupils choose 7 - 10 subjects; English, Maths, R.E. (short course), a language and two sciences (Technology, Biology, Physicis and Chemistry) are compulsory. Pupils can then choose from Art, History, Geography, Business Studies, H.E., P.E., Additional Maths, English Liturature, Child Development and Full Course R.E. Subjects not previously studied that can be taken at GCSE level include Drama and Journalism
Journalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
.
Those joining or returning to sixth form
Sixth form
In the education systems of England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, and of Commonwealth West Indian countries such as Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Belize, Jamaica and Malta, the sixth form is the final two years of secondary education, where students, usually sixteen to eighteen years of age,...
at the school usually take four AS Level
GCE Advanced Level
The Advanced Level General Certificate of Education, commonly referred to as an A-level, is a qualification offered by education institutions in England, Northern Ireland, Wales, Cameroon, and the Cayman Islands...
subjects in their Lower Sixth year. Excepting timetable clashes, pupils can choose any four subjects they wish. At the end of the Lower Sixth year, pupils usually keep on three subjects to study at A2 Level (see Advanced Level (UK)#Curriculum 2000), though many keep on all four. Extra subjects offered only at A Level include Government and Politics
Politics
Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
and Moving Image Art. Additionally, for the last hour on Thursday afternoons, the entire sixth form is timetabled for the "Options" programme, which enables pupils to undertake short, mostly recreational courses in a range of subjects including some languages (Gaelic
Goidelic languages
The Goidelic languages or Gaelic languages are one of the two branches of the Insular Celtic languages, the other consisting of the Brythonic languages. Goidelic languages historically formed a dialect continuum stretching from the south of Ireland through the Isle of Man to the north of Scotland...
, Japanese
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
, Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
and sign language
Sign language
A sign language is a language which, instead of acoustically conveyed sound patterns, uses visually transmitted sign patterns to convey meaning—simultaneously combining hand shapes, orientation and movement of the hands, arms or body, and facial expressions to fluidly express a speaker's...
), first aid
First aid
First aid is the provision of initial care for an illness or injury. It is usually performed by non-expert, but trained personnel to a sick or injured person until definitive medical treatment can be accessed. Certain self-limiting illnesses or minor injuries may not require further medical care...
and Young Enterprise
Young Enterprise
Young Enterprise is a not-for-profit business and enterprise education charity in the United Kingdom. It is made up of 12 regional organisations, each operating individually under a license agreement...
.
Traditionally, the grammar school has admitted most pupils in the Eleven plus exam A grade bracket within the NEELB board, and in 2010 ranked in the top 30 of UK schools at A2 Level.
Behaviour and discipline are important matters to the school: pupils are expected to work hard and succeed. Behaviour is of a generally good standard and it has a very low suspension rate compared to local grammar or comprehensive schools.
Extracurricular activities
The school is proud of, and is well known for, its devotion to music, especially in the form of light opera, choral choirs and a large orchestraOrchestra
An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
. Every year the school runs two carol
Carol (music)
A carol is a festive song, generally religious but not necessarily connected with church worship, and often with a dance-like or popular character....
services at Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
. In April, there is an annual spring concert and every autumn the school runs its perennial theatrical performance (traditionally productions from Gilbert and Sullivan
Gilbert and Sullivan
Gilbert and Sullivan refers to the Victorian-era theatrical partnership of the librettist W. S. Gilbert and the composer Arthur Sullivan . The two men collaborated on fourteen comic operas between 1871 and 1896, of which H.M.S...
which had included Iolanthe
Iolanthe
Iolanthe; or, The Peer and the Peri is a comic opera with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It is one of the Savoy operas and is the seventh collaboration of the fourteen between Gilbert and Sullivan....
and The Mikado
The Mikado
The Mikado; or, The Town of Titipu is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert, their ninth of fourteen operatic collaborations...
, but more recently Musical Theatre productions such as Les Misérables (musical)
Les Misérables (musical)
Les Misérables , colloquially known as Les Mis or Les Miz , is a musical by Claude-Michel Schönberg, based on the novel of the same name by Victor Hugo....
and Guys and Dolls
Guys and Dolls
Guys and Dolls is a musical with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows. It is based on "The Idyll of Miss Sarah Brown" and "Blood Pressure", two short stories by Damon Runyon, and also borrows characters and plot elements from other Runyon stories, most notably...
). The chamber choir
Chamber music
Chamber music is a form of classical music, written for a small group of instruments which traditionally could be accommodated in a palace chamber. Most broadly, it includes any art music that is performed by a small number of performers with one performer to a part...
frequently performs outside the school and has traditionally been very successful. Entry to the chamber choir is limited to singers from fourth form upwards following a successful audition, but junior (first to third form) and senior (fourth form upwards) choirs exist for anyone interested in singing and performing in the school's various musical events. Since the Millennium Concert (see below), a Past Pupils' Choir ("The Old Ballyclarians' Choir") has also existed. This was originally conducted by John Dallas, a long-term music teacher, but upon his retirement, past pupil soprano
Soprano
A soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody...
Sheelagh Greer, who has made her career in music and singing, superseded.
The choirs and orchestra have performed three times to date in Belfast's Waterfront Hall
Waterfront Hall
The Waterfront Hall is a multi-purpose facility, in Belfast, Northern Ireland, designed by local architects' firm Robinson McIlwaine. Practice partner Peter McGukin was the project architect....
- for the turn of the Millennium (2000), for the school's centenary (2003) and in tribute to the retiring John Dallas (2006).
As well as its musical focus, Ballyclare High boasts a wide range and large number of extracurricular sports and activities such as IT clubs, language associations and junior and senior Scripture Unions. As well as fairly common activities such as rugby union
Rugby 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...
and debating, the school also runs less common clubs such as outdoor pursuits.
In rugby, Ballyclare has won the Ulster Schools Cup
Ulster Schools Cup
The Ulster Schools' Challenge Cup is an annual competition involving schools affiliated to the Ulster Branch of the Irish Rugby Football Union. The Schools' Cup has the distinction of being the world's second-oldest rugby competition, having been competed for every year since 1876...
once, in 1973. In 2008, 2009 and 2011, under the coaching of Mr Daniel Soper and Mr Gareth Shaw, the school's rugby team made it through to the semi-finals of the competition. The Medallion (under 15) team has won the Medallion Shield
Medallion Shield
The Medallion Shield is an annual rugby union competition involving schools affiliated to the Ulster Branch of the Irish Rugby Football Union. The competition is open to all schools within Ulster, but only schools from within Northern Ireland currently enter, with no entries from schools situated...
on one occasion in 1990 when Coleraine Academical Institution
Coleraine Academical Institution
Coleraine Academical Institution , styled locally as Coleraine Inst, is a voluntary grammar school for boys, situated in Coleraine, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland....
were beaten 8-4 in the final 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...
. The subsidiary Medallion Plate competition has been won four times in 1992, 1997, 1999 and 2003.
In hockey, the school used to perform well in boys' hockey, even managing to win the Burney Cup
Burney Cup
The Burney Cup is an annual competition involving the strongest schools affiliated to the Ulster Branch of the Irish Hockey Association...
in 1931 and 1935. Girls hockey has risen to prominence in recent times, with the 1st team reaching the Ulster Schools Cup final in 2007 only to fall to a narrow 1-0 defeat to The Royal School, Armagh
The Royal School, Armagh
The Royal School, Armagh is a co-educational voluntary grammar school in the city of Armagh, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom. It was one of a number of free schools created by King James I of England in 1608 to provide an education to the sons of local merchants and farmers during the plantation...
.
There is a 'house' system
House system
The house system is a traditional feature of British schools, and schools in the Commonwealth. Historically, it was associated with established public schools, where a 'house' refers to a boarding house or dormitory of a boarding school...
in place, which mainly relates to internal sports. Four houses exist: Aiken, Brann, Dixon and Russell, however, the school tends to attach less importance to this system than some other schools.
Uniform
Uniform is compulsory at Ballyclare High School, and what one wears depends mostly on what stage they are at in their school life. All pupils wear a blazer - black for boys and navy for girls - with the school logo emblazoned on a pocket on the left. There are exceptions to this rule: those who have excelled in sports and other activities can be awarded a special emblem for their blazer pocket (an "honours pocket"), and those who represent the school for Ulster or Ireland may be awarded an "honours blazer" - this is a red blazer with an honours pocket and is gender-neutral. Such awards are becoming more common below sixth form and it is possible for them to be worn by pupils as young as 14/15 (fourth form). A pupil gaining this status at 13/14 (third form) receives a special honours pocket and is awarded with an honours blazer the following year.These exceptions aside, girls in first to third year wear a navy a-line skirt. In winter, navy v-neck sweaters and navy tights are permitted. Ankle-high white socks must be worn at other times. In the case of junior boys, black trousers must be worn and black v-neck sweaters are permitted during winter.
Girls in the senior school must wear grey pleated skirts and senior boys can wear dark grey trousers (though black ones are still permitted).
Ties must be worn for all pupils. In first to fifth year, ties are diagonal stripes of the school's colours, red and navy. In Lower Sixth, pupils wear a tie that is mostly navy with intermittent, thin red stripes as well as a representation of the Ballyclare Mill which can be seen in the school's emblem. In Upper Sixth, the tie is different again: it is similar to the first to fifth form tie except the shade of red is brighter and the mill from school emblem is emblazoned on it in the same manner as the Lower Sixth tie.
There are rules governing shoes, coats, jewellery and other accessories. Red and navy striped school scarfs are, in theory, the only scarfs permitted, though lower and upper sixths who have been involved in the School Aid Romania programme are allowed to wear their red, blue, green and yellow S.A.R. scarves.
In January 2008 the school was criticised for suspending and then segregating a boy from other pupils because his hair defied the rules of the school's uniform code. The issue was taken to court and the judge declared that although "segregation was not part of the disciplinary policy" and "a lesser sanction should have been used" the school's uniform policy did not sexually discriminate against boys.
Facilities
For decades, the school managed with a limited number of classrooms. The construction phases of the 1930s, 1950s and 1960s added new facilities but did not keep up with the growth in the numbers of students. Temporary buildings ("The Huts"), borrowed premises, and gymnasiums (with multiple classes in the same hall) were used for classroom instruction for many years.However, since the 1980s, major construction and renovation have taken place, greatly expanding the available space and upgrading the infrastructure.
In the last number of years, the school has gone through a number of technological and architectural changes. A new sixth form resource centre has recently been opened, as has a completely revamped version of the school's Williams Library. Ballyclare High has a number of extensive computer suites, that can either be booked by teachers for classes or used - at break, lunch, or during sixth formers' free periods - for private, independent learning and recreation. The school also piloted Northern Ireland's paperless exams, demonstrating its commitment to technological development. In March 2006, its application for funding to be a specialist school
Specialist school
The specialist schools programme was a UK government initiative which encouraged secondary schools in England to specialise in certain areas of the curriculum to boost achievement. The Specialist Schools and Academies Trust was responsible for the delivery of the programme...
in Information Technology was accepted by the Department for Employment and Learning
Department for Employment and Learning
The Department for Employment and Learning , formerly the Department of Higher and Further Education, Training and Employment , is a devolved Northern Ireland government department in the Northern Ireland Executive...
.
The school has had Smart Boards installed in every classroom (except several small rooms). This enables teachers and pupils to display and interact with a computer. This interaction could be a game, a quiz or a DVD, and of course the board can be used as a digital writing/drawing pad.
Notable former pupils
| Name | Career | Years of Attendance | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Andy Cairns Andy Cairns Andrew James Cairns , is a founding member, singer, guitarist and songwriter for Therapy?, a hard rock band from Northern Ireland.- Therapy? :... |
Lead vocalist and guitarist in rock band Therapy? Therapy? Therapy? is an alternative metal band from Northern Ireland. The band was formed in 1989 by guitarist–vocalist Andy Cairns from Ballyclare and drummer-vocalist Fyfe Ewing from Larne, Northern Ireland. The band initially recorded their first demo with Cairns filling in on bass guitar... . |
1978-1985 | |
| Stephen Boyd Stephen Boyd Stephen Boyd was an Irish actor, from Glengormley, Northern Ireland, who appeared in around 60 films, most notably in the role of Messala in Ben-Hur.-Biography:... |
Hollywood actor (birth name William Millar). | 1940s | |
| Gary Longwell | Ulster rugby player, second row. | ||
| Colin Geddis | Comedian, radio and podcast presenter and co creator of the I Am Fighter series on Youtube | ||
| Colin Fleming | Principal flautist with the Ulster Orchestra Ulster Orchestra The Ulster Orchestra is a symphony orchestra based in Belfast, the only full-time professional orchestra in Northern Ireland. The orchestra plays the majority of its concerts in Belfast's Ulster Hall and Waterfront Hall... and former conductor of the Ballyclare Victoria Flute Band. |
1970s | |
| Michael Broers | A historian specialising in France History of France The history of France goes back to the arrival of the earliest human being in what is now France. Members of the genus Homo entered the area hundreds of thousands years ago, while the first modern Homo sapiens, the Cro-Magnons, arrived around 40,000 years ago... and Italy History of Italy Italy, united in 1861, has significantly contributed to the political, cultural and social development of the entire Mediterranean region. Many cultures and civilizations have existed there since prehistoric times.... in the Napoleonic period |
1969–1973 | |
| Dick Strawbridge Dick Strawbridge Lieutenant-Colonel Richard Francis "Dick" Strawbridge, MBE, , is a British engineer, television presenter and environmentalist... |
TV presenter, inventor and retired Army officer. | 1970s | |
| Kristyn Getty Kristyn Getty Kristyn Elizabeth Rebekah Getty is an Irish recording artist and worship leader. With her husband, she co-writes many new songs and hymns.An acclaimed soloist in her own right, Kristyn began singing as a teenager in her family's church in Northern Ireland... |
Christian singer-song writer. | ||
| Thomas Chesney | An academic who has published reports on Wikipedia's reliability (see Wikipedia:Wikipedia in academic studies) | ||
Track and Field Athlete
School leadership
Principals:- 1902-1923 Catherine Aiken
- 1923-1939 Arthur Foweather
- 1939-1966 Mr Russell
- 1966-1970 Joseph Williams
- 1970-1971 Herbert Mudd (acting principal)
- 1971-1990 Mr G C G Millar
- 1990-2000 Robert Fitzpatrick
- 2000–Present Mr D A Knox
The current (2011) principal is David Knox, who has had a long and respected career as an English teacher, including a tenure at Ballymena's
Ballymena
Ballymena is a large town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland and the seat of Ballymena Borough Council. Ballymena had a population of 28,717 people in the 2001 Census....
Cambridge House Grammar School
Cambridge House Grammar School
Cambridge House Grammar School is a mixed, controlled grammar school in the County Antrim town of Ballymena, Northern Ireland within the North Eastern Education and Library Board area.-General:...
. Knox took up his post as Headmaster of Ballyclare High in 2000. Vice principals are Mrs McKay who joined the school September 2009 and Dr. Michelle Rainey and Mr. Trevor Martin were also appointed in 2008. Wilbert Hollinger retired from his post as a vice principal and Biology teacher at the end of June 2008.