Lumen Christi College is a co-educational Catholic

Catholic

The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...

 grammar school in Derry

Derry

Derry or Londonderry is the second-biggest city in Northern Ireland and the fourth-biggest city on the island of Ireland. The name Derry is an anglicisation of the Irish name Doire or Doire Cholmcille meaning "oak-wood of Colmcille"...

, 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...

, founded in September 1997. The school is located at the site of the old St. Columb's College

St. Columb's College

St. Columb's College is a Roman Catholic boys' grammar school in Derry, Northern Ireland and, since 2008, a specialist school in Mathematics and Computing...

. In 2007, 2008 and 2009, Lumen Christi topped the GCSE and A-Level results league tables in Northern Ireland, and was 17th overall in the UK of state secondary schools in 2009. The school won the British Telecom Faul Gaelic Cup in 2005 and the North West Rugby blitz title in January 2007. The school is made up of just over 800 students, and 50 teachers. In 2007 the school's Bar Mock Trials

Bar Mock Trials

The "Bar National Mock Trial Competition" which aims to give young people an insight to the workings of the legal system. Now in its 18th year, it involves over 2,000 students, 200 barristers/advocates and 90 judges from across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.-Finalist 2010/2011:The...

 team won 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...

's competition and the National Competition in Cardiff

Cardiff

Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...

.Lumen Christis pupils are the best bar none In late 2007, the Bar Mock Trial team, almost completely revamped, repeated their success from the previous year by winning the Belfast

Belfast

Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...

 heat of the overall competition. However, they were denied a place in the final trial of the national finals in Liverpool

Liverpool

Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...

 on points difference. In October 2007, an off-duty Catholic Police Service of Northern Ireland

Police Service of Northern Ireland

The Police Service of Northern Ireland is the police force that serves Northern Ireland. It is the successor to the Royal Ulster Constabulary which, in turn, was the successor to the Royal Irish Constabulary in Northern Ireland....

 officer was shot by the Real IRA outside the school gates, while leaving his child at the school. He was wounded but was able to make his own way to hospital.

Leadership team

• Principal - Mr Patrick O'Doherty
• Vice Principal - Mrs Catherine Rawdon
• Vice Principal - Mrs Rosemary McDaid
• Head of First Year - Mrs Emer McCaffery
• Head of Key Stage 3 - Mrs Siobhán McCauley
• Head of Key Stage 4 - Mrs Bronach O'Hare
• Head of Sixth Form - Mrs Cátríona O'Donnell

Musicals

In the past, Lumen Christi College has held numerous shows, either musicals or talent shows. In 2010, the school musical, which is held every 3–4 years, made its move to St. Columbs Hall, as when it was held in the school Assembly Hall, there wasn't sufficient seating. The musical in 2010 which ran from 1–3 December was a huge success, selling out on all three nights. Around 80 of the school's pupils took part in the production of the show.

Talent shows

In the past, there have been school talent shows held during school hours, but in 2008, the PTA of Lumen Christi College decided to make its move to after school hours, which would attract the wider public. For three years until present the show has ran in June each year, and whilst the show was organised by the PTA, Ms Maeve McMenamin was the main in school organiser. In 2011, the show had a change in format, including a name change, a change in the judging panel and mentors and Buzzers were also added. There were 3 mentors, Ruairí McSorley, Caolán O'Kane and Amy Moore, who led the show to success. In June of 2012, the same three mentors are expected to take up the same roles but the show may be altered.

Controversy

In April 2008, the Roman Catholic Bishop of Derry

Roman Catholic Diocese of Derry

The Diocese of Derry is a diocese in the north of Ireland. It is in the ecclesiastical province of Armagh. The diocese was established in the year 1158.-Ordinaries:...

, Séamus Hegarty, the Minister for Education

Department of Education (Northern Ireland)

The Department of Education is a devolved Northern Ireland government department in the Northern Ireland Executive...

, Caitríona Ruane

Caitríona Ruane

Caitríona Ruane MLA is a Sinn Féin politician and a member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for South Down....

 (Sinn Féin

Sinn Féin

Sinn Féin is a left wing, Irish republican political party in Ireland. The name is Irish for "ourselves" or "we ourselves", although it is frequently mistranslated as "ourselves alone". Originating in the Sinn Féin organisation founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffith, it took its current form in 1970...

), along with the Irish National Teachers' Organisation

Irish National Teachers' Organisation

The Irish National Teachers' Organisation , in Irish Cumann Múinteoirí Éireann, which was founded in 1868, is the largest teachers' trade union in Ireland. It represents teachers at primary level in the Republic of Ireland, and at primary and post-primary level in Northern Ireland. The head office...

 trade union

Trade union

A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...

, criticised the Board of Governors

Board of governors

Board of governors is a term sometimes applied to the board of directors of a public entity or non-profit organization.Many public institutions, such as public universities, are government-owned corporations. The British Broadcasting Corporation was managed by a board of governors, though this role...

 of Lumen Christi College for announcing their intention to continue academic selection after the abolition of the 11-plus examination.Resignation call over school test The school's principal, Pat O'Doherty, responded that the school intends to go ahead with its testing plans, and that the education minister has no legal authority to stop them.