Carrickfergus Grammar School is a
controlled grammar school situated in
Carrickfergus
Carrickfergus ( , meaning " Fergus' rock") is a large town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It sits on the north shore of Belfast Lough, from Belfast. The town had a population of 27,998 at the 2011 Census. It is County Antrim's oldest t ...
, County Antrim, Northern Ireland. Since opening in 1962 with 60 pupils and 4 teachers, its pupil numbers have increased to just over 800 pupils from ages 11 to 18 in Years 8 to 14.
[
The school is situated on the former site of Thornfield Manor, overlooking the town of Carrickfergus, and has a proud view of ]Carrickfergus Castle
Carrickfergus Castle (from the Irish ''Carraig Ḟergus'' or "cairn of Fergus", the name "Fergus" meaning "strong man") is a Norman castle in Northern Ireland, situated in the town of Carrickfergus in County Antrim, on the northern shore of B ...
and Belfast Lough
Belfast Lough is a large, intertidal sea inlet on the east coast of Northern Ireland. At its head is the city and port of Belfast, which sits at the mouth of the River Lagan. The lough opens into the North Channel and connects Belfast to th ...
.
The school is known for its sporting achievements, especially in rugby
Rugby may refer to:
Sport
* Rugby football in many forms:
** Rugby league: 13 players per side
*** Masters Rugby League
*** Mod league
*** Rugby league nines
*** Rugby league sevens
*** Touch (sport)
*** Wheelchair rugby league
** Rugby union: 1 ...
, hockey
Hockey is a term used to denote a family of various types of both summer and winter team sports which originated on either an outdoor field, sheet of ice, or dry floor such as in a gymnasium. While these sports vary in specific rules, numbers o ...
, and football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
and its music department, including the senior choir, which often performs in high-profile venues, such as The National Concert Hall in Dublin, and has made numerous television appearances.
The school motto ''Præstantia'' roughly translates as 'Excellence' and the school's mission statement reads "Further Excellence from Present Strengths".
History
The school was founded in 1962 with just 60 pupils, but now accommodates approximately 800 students and 70 staff. In 2018, the school was the second top Controlled Grammar in Northern Ireland for GCSE Results.
The school was expanded to deal with an increase in numbers when an extension was built in 1983.The motto changed to ''Præstantia'', the school crest was replaced with a new logo and the school colours changed to reflect better the diversity of the school community. The school continued to grow, and in 1999 was the first grammar school in Northern Ireland to achieve the Investors in People
Investors in People is a standard for people management, offering accreditation to organisations that adhere to the Investors in People Standard. From 1991 to January 2017, Investors in People was owned by the UK government. As of 1 February 20 ...
award. It was also later awarded the Goldmark by the Northern Ireland Sports Council for the quality of its physical education. In 2008, the school achieved specialist school
Specialist schools, also known as specialised schools or specialized schools, are schools which specialise in a certain area or field of curriculum. In some countries, for example New Zealand, the term is used exclusively for schools specialis ...
status, specialising in science
Science is a systematic endeavor that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe.
Science may be as old as the human species, and some of the earliest archeological evidence for ...
, and was awarded the International School Award in recognition of its work encouraging global awareness in school.
In 2009, the school achieved its first major school sports trophy for rugby in recent years, winning the Ulster Schools Trophy. In 2012, the school had more success, winning the Northern Bank Medallion Bowl.
The school's first principal was J McK Grainger, founding the school with 60 pupils. Grainger was at the school until his retirement in 1977, when he was succeeded by H Jamison, who was principal until 1989. K Irwin succeeded Jamison in 1990, and stayed in the position until his retirement in 2009. K Mulvenna took over the principalship in 2009 and retired in April 2019. Past principals have facilities within the school named after them, such as the Grainger Centre, the Jamison Room, and Irwin Park. The current principal is J A Maxwell.
Houses
There are four school houses, Castle, Fergus, Knockagh and Thornfield, and new students are assigned to one of these houses when they arrive.
Notable former pupils
* John Stewart, Ulster Unionist Party politician, MLA and War hero
References
External links
Official Site
{{authority control
Grammar schools in County Antrim
Educational institutions established in 1962
Carrickfergus
1962 establishments in Northern Ireland
Specialist colleges in Northern Ireland