Schools performing well in GCSE tables

Schools performing well in GCSE tables

2 April 2014

TWO local schools have been officially classed as among the top five secondary schools in their categories in recently published league tables.

St. Colmcille’s High School in Crossgar has been named fifth top performing Catholic non-grammar school, while St. Patrick’s Grammar School in Downpatrick is second best performing boys’ school in Northern Ireland.

The league tables, which are drawn up based on the percentage of pupils achieving more than five GCSEs including English and maths at grades A*-C, position Down High School as the best performing school in the district.

In a Northern Ireland context, Down High School is placed 20th overall, followed by St. Patrick’s Grammar School in 25th place and Assumption Grammar School in 32nd position.

The area’s top performing non-selective secondary schools are St. Colmcille’s, which is 76th position overall in Northern Ireland, St. Mary’s High School, which is in 81st position, and St. Colman’s High School, which is 98th position.

Mr. Shane McNeill, principal of St. Colmcille’s High School, said he was very encouraged with his school’s high placement in the league tables. His school has jumped from 102nd position in Northern Ireland to 76th place with almost 60 per cent of pupils achieving five top passes.

Although he is delighted with St. Colmcille’s overall performance as one of Northern Ireland’s best secondary schools, he said he believed the school’s warmth and welcome and the value placed on very child was as important as its results.

Mr. Sean Sloan, principal of St. Patrick’s Grammar School, said he too was delighted the achievements of his students had once again been recognised.

“The success of the pupils is not only testament to their hard work, but to the exceptional partnership that exists between pupils, teachers and parents,” he said.

“While this is a pleasing accolade, in St. Patrick’s we do not focus on league tables but rather on the educational journey of each individual pupil.”

Mr. Mark Morgan, principal of St. Colman’s High School, which climbed one position from 99th to 98th overall school, said he was very pleased his school was still one of the top non-selective schools in the area.

“For the last three years we have held this position and despite this success, we are trying to still make improvements,” he said.

Mrs. Sheila Darling, from St. Mary’s High School, Downpatrick, said she was delighted her school continues to rise up the league tables.

“This is a good news story for us and we are going in the right direction,” she said. “Our school is providing children with a high level of qualifications but we are about much more than league tables, we have a well rounded approach to education.”

Although many principals have welcomed their school’s performance in the league tables, some have also pointed out the injustices of such tables, which do not take into account the number of children who qualify for free school meals, which is used as an indicator of pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds, and the percentage of children who are recognised as having special education needs.

One such school is Ballynahinch High School in which 54 per cent of the student population is classed as having special educational needs.

The school is this week placed in 140th position, which represents a rise of 56 places since last year when it was in 196th place.

Its principal, Mrs. Kathi Moore, said the GCSE statistics, like any statistics, do not show the whole picture of a school.

“We are delighted with our move up 56 places, but it is important to recognise that these statistics do not take into account the background, including, for example, how many children are entered for examinations,” she said.

Mr. Stephen Taylor, vice-principal of Blackwater Integrated College in Downpatrick, agreed and said almost 50 per cent of Blackwater’s student population is also classed as having special education needs.

He said they also did not reflect the fact that the school’s results, taking into account five A* to C grades in all subjects, have improved for five successive years.