Rainey Endowed School
Encyclopedia
Rainey Endowed School,known colloquially as "The Rainey", is a voluntary grammar school in Magherafelt
, County Londonderry
, Northern Ireland
. The school was founded in 1707 and currently has an enrolment of approximately 750 pupils. The school borders three counties and draws its students from each of County Londonderry, County Antrim
and County Tyrone
. It offers the Northern Ireland curricula up to the age of 16 and a range of AS and A2 courses at post 16.
, which at that time included Magherafelt. As a result of a vow made to God for his protection and favour he, by his will dated 11 April 1707, devoted one half of his estate to fund a charity school for 24 boys: "sons of parents who were of good report and reduced to poverty". After three years instruction the boys were to be given a suit of clothes, £2.50 for an apprentice fee.
In his Will, Hugh Rainey wrote "that what I have left may not only be for a generation or two, but that it may be for many not yet born ", and so 'The Rainey' was founded.
In 1863 negotiations with the Salters' Company resulted in the development of a new building. On 21 January 1863 the Lord Chancellor of Ireland, confirmed a new scheme of management. In 1864 the Salters' Company built a teacher's residence and a single schoolroom in Rainey Street Magherafelt. Girls were permitted into the school at the end of the 19th Century.
The school motto, taken from the Salters Company, is Sal Sapit Omnia, translated as Salt savours all .
Heavy emphasis on extra-curricular activity, including drama, public-speaking, choirs, orchestras, Scripture Union. Sport is a dominant feature, especially rugby, hockey, tennis, and athletics; 1st XV won subsidiary bowl of Schools' Cup; winners of North Easter seven-a-side rugby competition. The Rainey Under 14 hockey team won the Junior Cup beating Friends School, Lisburn in the final 2008/09.
Strong musical traditions, with choirs and orchestras; also traditional Irish musical groups and encouragement of solo performance; drama productions. More than 100 pupils take part in Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme; 25 raised £35,000 for Gold Expedition in Kenya, with half of the money given to charitable organisation that funds primary education in Nairobi. Recent emphasis by sixth form on charity fundraising; large amounts raised for tsunami appeal, Leukaemia Research, and Cystic Fibrosis Trust.
Plans were announced in April 2004 for a new £14.3 million school to be built.
Magherafelt
Magherafelt is a small town in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It had a population of 8,372 people recorded in the 2001 Census. It is the biggest town in the south of County Londonderry and is the social, economic and political hub of the area...
, County Londonderry
County Londonderry
The place name Derry is an anglicisation of the old Irish Daire meaning oak-grove or oak-wood. As with the city, its name is subject to the Derry/Londonderry name dispute, with the form Derry preferred by nationalists and Londonderry preferred by unionists...
, 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...
. The school was founded in 1707 and currently has an enrolment of approximately 750 pupils. The school borders three counties and draws its students from each of County Londonderry, 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...
and County Tyrone
County Tyrone
Historically Tyrone stretched as far north as Lough Foyle, and comprised part of modern day County Londonderry east of the River Foyle. The majority of County Londonderry was carved out of Tyrone between 1610-1620 when that land went to the Guilds of London to set up profit making schemes based on...
. It offers the Northern Ireland curricula up to the age of 16 and a range of AS and A2 courses at post 16.
Establishment
Rainey Endowed School was founded by Hugh Rainey, an iron smelter and wealthy merchant in the Magherafelt district . He was an elder in the Presbyterian Congregation of CastledawsonCastledawson
Castledawson is a village in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It is mostly within the townland of Shanemullagh , about four miles from the north-western shore of Lough Neagh, and close to the market town of Magherafelt...
, which at that time included Magherafelt. As a result of a vow made to God for his protection and favour he, by his will dated 11 April 1707, devoted one half of his estate to fund a charity school for 24 boys: "sons of parents who were of good report and reduced to poverty". After three years instruction the boys were to be given a suit of clothes, £2.50 for an apprentice fee.
In his Will, Hugh Rainey wrote "that what I have left may not only be for a generation or two, but that it may be for many not yet born ", and so 'The Rainey' was founded.
Development
Hugh Rainey died in 1707 and the task of building the school fell to his only child, Elizabeth, and her husband. The school was built in 1713 on land leased from the Salters' Company, and is still on that site today.In 1863 negotiations with the Salters' Company resulted in the development of a new building. On 21 January 1863 the Lord Chancellor of Ireland, confirmed a new scheme of management. In 1864 the Salters' Company built a teacher's residence and a single schoolroom in Rainey Street Magherafelt. Girls were permitted into the school at the end of the 19th Century.
The school motto, taken from the Salters Company, is Sal Sapit Omnia, translated as Salt savours all .
Background
As of the academic year 2008-2009 pupils on roll were marked at 697 with four classes in each year. Teachers were numbered at male 21 and female 27. More than 20 subjects at Key Stage 4. Over-subscribed, with 1.4 applications per place.Heavy emphasis on extra-curricular activity, including drama, public-speaking, choirs, orchestras, Scripture Union. Sport is a dominant feature, especially rugby, hockey, tennis, and athletics; 1st XV won subsidiary bowl of Schools' Cup; winners of North Easter seven-a-side rugby competition. The Rainey Under 14 hockey team won the Junior Cup beating Friends School, Lisburn in the final 2008/09.
Strong musical traditions, with choirs and orchestras; also traditional Irish musical groups and encouragement of solo performance; drama productions. More than 100 pupils take part in Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme; 25 raised £35,000 for Gold Expedition in Kenya, with half of the money given to charitable organisation that funds primary education in Nairobi. Recent emphasis by sixth form on charity fundraising; large amounts raised for tsunami appeal, Leukaemia Research, and Cystic Fibrosis Trust.
Plans were announced in April 2004 for a new £14.3 million school to be built.
Notable former pupils
- Joseph BurnsJoseph Burns (UK politician)Joseph Burns was an Ulster Unionist member of the Parliament of Northern Ireland. He represented North Londonderry from 1960-1973....
, UnionistUlster Unionist PartyThe Ulster Unionist Party – sometimes referred to as the Official Unionist Party or, in a historic sense, simply the Unionist Party – is the more moderate of the two main unionist political parties in Northern Ireland...
politician - Wendy HouvenaghelWendy HouvenaghelWendy Louise Houvenaghel is a British racing cyclist from Upperlands, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland, riding on both the road and track, but specialising in the latter...
(née McClean), cyclist and former RAFRoyal Air ForceThe Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
dentist - Rodney OrpheusRodney OrpheusRodney Orpheus is a musician, record producer, author, lecturer, and a leading member of the Thelemic organization Ordo Templi Orientis...
, musician and author - Laura PyperLaura PyperLaura Pyper is a Northern Irish actress, known for portraying Ella Dee in the second season of Hex, Jane Fairfax in Emma and Lexine in the video game Dead Space: Extraction.-Background:...
, actress - General FiascoGeneral FiascoGeneral Fiasco are an indie rock group from Bellaghy, Northern Ireland. Since their formation in 2007, they have toured with Fighting With Wire, The Wombats, One Night Only, The Pigeon Detectives, The Enemy, Jet and Kids In Glass Houses...
, indie rock group.