Larne Grammar School Annual Report 2013-2014
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LARNE GRAMMAR SCHOOL ANNUAL REPORT 2013-2014 LARNE GRAMMAR SCHOOL ANNUAL REPORT OF THE BOARD OF GOVERNORS 2013 - 2014 CONTENTS PAGE NO 1. Chairman’s Statement 3 2. Board of Governors’ Discharge of Function in relation to the School 4 3. Membership of the Board of Governors 2013-14 5 4. History, Ethos and Vision of Larne Grammar School 6 5. Enrolment and Admissions 7 6. Attendance 7 7. Staff 7 8. School Activities 8 9. Public Examination Results 2013-14 12 10. School Leavers’ Destinations 2013-14 19 11. Curriculum 19 12. Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG) 22 13. Education for Mutual Understanding 23 14. Pastoral Care 24 15. Accounts 28 Appendix A – List of Policies 29 2 1. CHAIRMAN'S STATEMENT Dear Parents/Guardians/ Members of this school community, It gives me great pleasure, on behalf of my fellow governors, to present for your consideration this our Annual Report for the year 2013-14. The Report is a special one for me, being the first in my term of office as Chair. Larne Grammar School is held in much affection by me as a past pupil, and by many like me. There has always been a family feel to the school, with staff and pupils striving together towards a common goal of excellence in staff teaching and in pupil learning. That tradition of caring and sharing has once again been demonstrated during the academic year just ended. The report of an Education and Training Inspectorate follow-up inspection carried out in September 2013 is fulsome in its praise of relations within LGS, confirming that: “There is an inclusive, welcoming and pastoral ethos for all members of the school community.” That same report highlighted the effective leadership at all levels and the high standard of teaching and learning observed: “The quality of almost all of the lessons observed….was good or very good; the majority were very good.” High praise indeed and confirmation of the excellence of provision in our school. As a school community we are determined to foster a culture of continuous improvement throughout all areas and aspects of our work – in teaching and learning, in leadership and management, in governance and support services. This has been reflected in the improved results at GCSE and GCE AS/A Level over the past year; in the new and revised policies and procedures prepared to inform our strategy and day-to-day working; in the updated accommodation, especially for Information and Learning Technology; and in the high levels of staff and learner satisfaction demonstrated through word of mouth testimony and questionnaire results. In a time of great uncertainty with regard to the administration of education in Northern Ireland, we as a Voluntary Grammar School continue to look after our own financial, staffing and other affairs, with limited recourse to any outside bodies. It is intended that the Education and Library Boards will be subsumed within a new single education authority; this is occasioned by the failure to reach agreement at Stormont over the role of the proposed Education and Skills Authority. The impact of these changes will no doubt be felt by Larne Grammar School, but we as staff and as governors will work tirelessly to ensure that any repercussions are minimal and have negligible or no impact on our learners. End of term in June 2014 turned out to be a watershed for the school, with the largest turnover of teaching staff for some time. That turnover was however positive for those concerned, comprised as it was of the retirement of two stalwarts of LGS for many years – Mrs Margaret Smythe and Mr Ronnie Lee; plus the success of staff in their applications for other posts – promoted posts and posts closer to their home. On behalf of the governors I wish to place on record our thanks to Mrs Smythe, Mr Lee, Miss Archer, Mrs Buchanan, Mrs Muldrew and Miss Turner for their dedication and commitment during the time they spent with us. We wish those ex-staff members happiness in their respective new challenges. Our Governing Body also lost two stalwarts, with the resignation of Mrs Margaret McMurtry and Mr Alex Meban, two Trustees as well as long-serving governors. Again I place on record our thanks for their unstinting service to our school and its staff and pupils. It gives me great pleasure to commend this report to not only our school community but also the wider locale of Larne and its surrounds. Larne Grammar School is a great place to be in 2014, so let us ensure together that this greatness is maintained and indeed enhanced in future. Yours faithfully, Mr Roy Logan BA MA DipEd DASE Chairman, Board of Governors 3 2. BOARD OF GOVERNORS’ DISCHARGE OF FUNCTIONS IN RELATION TO LARNE GRAMMAR SCHOOL The 1989 Education Reform Order gives governors responsibility for the overall management of the school. The following is a brief summary of the duties of the Governors. 1. Establishing aims and objectives for the School. 2. Managing the School's finances as allocated by DE. 3. Ensuring that the teachers in the School have the facilities necessary to provide a curriculum which meets the requirements of the 1989 Education Reform Order and for producing a policy in relation to the curriculum. 4. Ensuring that appropriate arrangements are put in place for the admission of pupils to the School and for drawing up criteria which will be used to select pupils, should it happen that the number of pupils seeking to be enrolled exceeds the number of places available. 5. Selecting staff, making promotions and undertaking other personnel responsibilities. 6. Providing parents with information about the School, through the issue of a prospectus and annual report. 4 3. MEMBERSHIP OF THE BOARD OF GOVERNORS OF LARNE GRAMMAR SCHOOL BOARD OF GOVERNORS Chairman Mr R G Logan BA MA DipEd DASE Trustee Governors Mrs G C Anderson BA (Hons) FRSA Alderman J R Beggs Mr R Craig BEd Mr R T Ferris OBE BBS CCMI Mr R G Logan BA MA DipEd DASE Rev Dr C D McClure BSc BD MSSc Rev Dr P I Reid BD Mr C W Tweed OBE FRAgS Representative Governors Department of Education Mr P J Murray FCA North-Eastern Education & Library Board Mr G A Knox LLB Parents Mrs A Beggs Mr G McCluskey BEd (Hons) MEd PQH (NI) (appointed January 2014) Teachers Mr B Kirkpatrick BSc (Hons) PGCE Med (appointed January 2014) Mrs N Herron BEd (Hons) (appointed January 2014) The following members of the Board of Governors stood down from their positions during the 2013-14 academic year: Mrs M Green (January 2014) Mr R Guy (January 2014) Mr R McGeagh BA (Hons) MSc PGCE (January 2014) Mrs M McMurtry BA (Hons) (June 2014) Mr A Meban MRICS (August 2014) Ms P Weir BSC (Hons) PGCE (January 2014) The Board of Governors commends this report to parents. 5 4. HISTORY, ETHOS AND VISION OF LARNE GRAMMAR SCHOOL Larne Grammar School is a co-educational Voluntary Grammar School. It was founded in 1886 by Sir Edward Coey and Mr John Crawford whose portraits are in the library. Originally, the school was a boarding and day school for boys; however, in 1937 it amalgamated with the old Intermediate School in the town and became a day school for girls and boys. From its foundations Larne Grammar School has established itself as one of the leading grammar schools in Ulster. Its influence has been out of all proportion to its size, and it has produced men and women who have upheld its high reputation in all professions and in every part of the world. Ethos “Larne Grammar School promotes positive moral values in a climate of high expectations and achievement among all the individuals and groups based on mutual respect. Pupils exhibit self control, personal responsibility and self worth, developed in the classroom and through a wide range of extra curricular activities. Pupils learn, grow and succeed in an atmosphere of praise and encouragement which promotes a sense of belonging and enjoyment for everyone.” Vision for Larne Grammar School “Larne Grammar School will strive to be a community-based centre of excellence whereby high quality teaching and learning will serve to enhance the lives of all, enabling pupils to achieve their potential in a spirit of mutual respect and support.” SECURITY The school operates a visitor pass system for all visitors during office hours. All visitors must, therefore, report to reception on arrival at school. CCTV is operational throughout the school premises and grounds. ACCESS Access throughout the school is assisted by a number of lifts. School Policies are available on request, during office hours, from the School Office. The safety and welfare of visitors are important to us. All visitors have a legal responsibility for their own and others’ safety and welfare and all incidents and accidents must be reported immediately to Reception. 6 5. ENROLMENT AND ADMISSIONS The enrolment number in September 2013 was 735 and the Admissions Number was 110. The applications and admissions for Year 8 for the past three years were as follows: Applications and Admissions Total Year Admissions No. Applications All Total Preferences Admissions 2011/12 110 127 110 2012/13 110 131 110 2013/14 110 135 110 This table does not include children who were admitted to the school with a statement of special educational needs. 6. PUPIL ATTENDANCE The average attendance during the 2013-2014 school year was 95.8%. 7. STAFF The year 2013-14 brought a significant number of staffing changes and developments. Two senior members of staff – Mr Ronnie Lee (Head of Technology and Design) and Mrs Margaret Smythe (Head of Physics) – retired at the end of the year.