Brackenagh West Primary School
Encyclopedia
Brackenagh West Primary School is a primary school
located in the country side about 3 miles north of Kilkeel
, County Down
, Northern Ireland
. It is within the Southern Education and Library Board
area.
Brackenagh West Primary School is situated approximately two miles from Kilkeel, near the area of the Silent Valley. There are currently 9 teachers employed in the school: 6 full-time teachers, two job share posts and one Principal Release post. It is a rural, co-educational school with an enrolment of 141 pupils, from ages 4 – 11. The school’s enrolment has increased steadily over the past number of years, with an increase approaching 30% since 1998 alone. The school's catchment area takes in the local townlands of Carginagh, Brackenagh, Ballyvea, Ballinran, Leitrim
, Ballymartin
and Ballykeel. There are also a number of children attending from Kilkeel and Annalong
.
. The points of focus were mathematics
(which was selected by the school), ICT
(Information and Communication Technology) and pastoral care. The report found that pastoral care was a "significant strength" and noted the use of a merit system to reward good behaviour and a School Council and Prefect system to encourage responsibility and participation. Other strengths noted were: the caring, family ethos; the hard-working and committed staff; good relationships between the staff and children; exemplary behaviour of the children and very good/excellent teaching seen. "Useful policies and schemes of work for ICT, mathematics, and for many other aspects of school life" were also found.
The school's increasing enrolments resulted in an extension being built in the summer of 2005 and extra staff being employed to keep the teacher/pupil ratio at the right level.
School website link: http://www.bwps.co.uk
Primary education
A primary school is an institution in which children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as primary or elementary education. Primary school is the preferred term in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth Nations, and in most publications of the United Nations Educational,...
located in the country side about 3 miles north of Kilkeel
Kilkeel
Kilkeel is a small town in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is the main fishing port on the Down coast, and its harbour houses one of the largest fishing fleets in Ireland. It had a population of 6,338 people according to the 2001 Census...
, County Down
County Down
-Cities:*Belfast *Newry -Large towns:*Dundonald*Newtownards*Bangor-Medium towns:...
, 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 within the Southern Education and Library Board
Southern Education and Library Board
The Southern Education and Library Board is a board providing education and library services in the southern districts of Northern Ireland: namely the district councils of Armagh, Banbridge, Cookstown, Craigavon, Dungannon and South Tyrone, and Newry and Mourne...
area.
- Enrolment: 125 in 2000-01, 123 in 2001-02, 130 in 2002-03, 132 in 2003-04, 138 in 2004-05, 140 in 2005-06, 141 in 2006-07, 149 in 2007-08, 150 in 2008-09, 153 in 2009-10
- Address: 22 Church Road, Kilkeel, Co Down, BT34 4QB
Brackenagh West Primary School is situated approximately two miles from Kilkeel, near the area of the Silent Valley. There are currently 9 teachers employed in the school: 6 full-time teachers, two job share posts and one Principal Release post. It is a rural, co-educational school with an enrolment of 141 pupils, from ages 4 – 11. The school’s enrolment has increased steadily over the past number of years, with an increase approaching 30% since 1998 alone. The school's catchment area takes in the local townlands of Carginagh, Brackenagh, Ballyvea, Ballinran, Leitrim
Leitrim, County Down
Leitrim is a townland in County Down, Northern Ireland, near Castlewellan.There are two townlands called Leitrim in South Down, one is referred to as Upper Leitrim, the other, as Lower Leitrim. One being closer to Hilltown, the other approximately 6 miles from Castlewellan, near Dromara. It...
, Ballymartin
Ballymartin
Ballymartin is a small village and townland in County Down, Northern Ireland. In the 2001 Census it had a population of 414 people. It lies within the Newry and Mourne District Council area.Ballymartin is also a townsland in Borris Parish, County Carlow....
and Ballykeel. There are also a number of children attending from Kilkeel and Annalong
Annalong
Annalong is a seaside village in County Down, Northern Ireland at the foot of the Mourne Mountains. It had a population of 1,778 people at the 2001 Census and lies within the Newry and Mourne District Council area. The village was once engaged in exporting dressed granite and is now a fishing and...
.
2004 Inspection
In November, 2004 the school received a focused inspection from the Department of Education (Northern Ireland)Department of Education (Northern Ireland)
The Department of Education is a devolved Northern Ireland government department in the Northern Ireland Executive...
. The points of focus were 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...
(which was selected by the school), ICT
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...
(Information and Communication Technology) and pastoral care. The report found that pastoral care was a "significant strength" and noted the use of a merit system to reward good behaviour and a School Council and Prefect system to encourage responsibility and participation. Other strengths noted were: the caring, family ethos; the hard-working and committed staff; good relationships between the staff and children; exemplary behaviour of the children and very good/excellent teaching seen. "Useful policies and schemes of work for ICT, mathematics, and for many other aspects of school life" were also found.
The school's increasing enrolments resulted in an extension being built in the summer of 2005 and extra staff being employed to keep the teacher/pupil ratio at the right level.
School website link: http://www.bwps.co.uk