ReviewBanbridge Academy 2019/20 1 Articles Committee Katie Baxter Susie Black Elinor Bradley Amber Brady Rebecca Breen Selena Chambers Jemma Clydesdale Erin Colgan Leah Crawford Katie Gregg Anna Harris Katie Heenan Ethan Henry Emily Johnstone Nikola Konpa Leah Mallon Sasha Martin Anna McInnes Evie McKinney Ellen McLaren Jesse Millar. Ellen Miller Lucy Poole Leah Radcliffe Nadia Radcliffe Emily Shields Emma Simms Amy Somerville Leah Spiers Mrs G Gough Charlotte Stevenson Katie Stinton Tanya Watson As I reflect on the 2019-2020 school year, it is only too apparent how it has been Ellen Whiteside unlike any other experienced in my lifetime. Who would ever have imagined Sarah Wilson that external examinations would be cancelled; that pupils would not return to Oliwia Zembala school from March 19th and that as a nation, we would endure months in total ‘lock down’? I can safely say that each of us, as teachers, parents or pupils, can now truly Advertising appreciate (perhaps more than ever before) the vital role that school and its entire community assumes within all of our lives. It is not only a place of Committee teaching and learning, but a hub of activity and social interaction that ‘google Katie Baxter classroom’ cannot fully replicate. Amber Brady Jemma Clydesdale Let us therefore not dwell solely on everything that Covid-19 has snatched Katie Gregg from us, but celebrate the successes, achievements and experiences of the Sasha Martin 2019-2020 school year, albeit somewhat reduced due to the early closure and Evie McKinney Lucy Poole restrictions imposed. I hope that this School Review will reflect on these more Leah Radcliffe positive times and shine a glimmer of light amidst the darkness of the more Nadia Radcliffe challenging ones. Emily Shields Emma Simms I extend my thanks to the staff and pupils who have contributed and also to the Ellen Miller many local businesses who continue to support our school through choosing to Tanya Watson Ellen Whiteside advertise with us. Without such involvement, the magazine could not exist. To you the reader, as a pupil, parent, staff member or friend of the school, I hope you enjoy the 2019-2020 edition of the School Review. Front Cover Susie Black 3 BANBRIDGE ACADEMY REVIEW 19-20 Staff Lists2019-2020 PRINCIPAL FULL-TIME TEACHING STAFF Mr R S McLoughlin, BSc, PGCE, MEd, PQH Mr T Acheson, BSc, PGCE Mrs H Adair, BA, PGCE VICE PRINCIPALS Mr C Beacom, BSc, PGCE Mrs H Evans, BSc, MEd, PGCE, PQH, EdD Mrs R Beacom, BSc, PGCE Mr D McFarland, BEd, MSc, PQH Mrs B Callan-Rushe, BEd, MEd Miss L Carson, BA, MA, PGCE SENIOR TEACHERS Mr J Clarke, BA, PGCE Mrs F Campbell BSc, PGCE Mr M Cordner, BA, DIS, PGCE Mr W Cromie, BA, PGCE Miss J Cosgrove, BSc, PGCE Mrs A Gilpin, BEd, MEd, PQH Mrs K Curran, BA, PGCE Mrs H Morrison, BSc, PGCE Mr S Dawson, MSc, PGCE Dr R Dobson, BSc, PhD, PGCE Mrs D Dreaning, BSc, PGCE HEADS OF DEPARTMENT Mr J Erskine, BA, PGCE Art Mrs O Casey, BA, PGCE Mr J Farrell, BSc, PGCE Biology Mrs S Tully, BSc, PGCE Miss J Greenlee, MA, MEd, PGCE Careers Mrs A Gilpin, BEd, MEd, PQH Chemistry Mrs J Glover, BSc, PGCE Miss K Jess, BSc, PGCE Computing Mr A Hanlon, BSc, PGCE Mr S Jess, MSc, PGCE Drama Mrs J Neill, BA, MA, PGCE Mr A D Kennedy, BSc, MEd, PGCE Economics Mr T Dempsey, BSc, PGCE Mr B Leslie, BEd English Miss L McConkey, MA, PGCE Mrs J Leslie, BSc, PGCE French Mrs C O’Shaughnessy, BA, PGCE Mr A McAuley, BA, PGCE Geography Mr C Nash, BSc, PGCE Miss A McClelland, BA, MA, PGCE German Mrs H Stewart, BA, PGCE Miss J McCormick, BA, PGCE History Mrs G Johnston, BA, PGCE Mrs J McCullagh, BA, PGCE Home Economics Miss L Elliott, BA, DIS, PGCE Miss E McCullough, BDes, PGCE Mathematics Mr D Irwin, BSc, PGCE Mrs S McCurdy, BA, PGCE, ALCM, ATCL (TD) Music Mrs D Robinson, BA, MTD, LTCL Mrs P McKenzie, BA, PGCE Physical Education Boys- Mr T Baxter, BA, PGCE Girls- Mrs G Todd, BSc, DIS, PGCE Mr M Miskelly, BEng, PGCE Physics Mr D Stewart, BSc, PGD, PGCE Dr T Myers, MSc, PhD, PGCE Psychology Mrs L Duke, BSc, MSc, PGDE, PGCert, Mrs N Paolucci, BA, PGCE ALCM (TD) Mr G Patterson, BA, MA, PGCE Religious Studies Mr W Brown, Bed Mr G Robinson, BEng, PGCE Science Mr D Stewart, BSc, PGD, PGCE Mrs N Shaw, BSc, PGCE Spanish Miss K Poots, BA, PGCE Mr P Smyth, BSc, PGCE Technology Mr G Winter, BEd Mrs L Topley-Willis, BA, PGCE Mrs F Topping, BSc, PGCE Mr C Walker, MSc, PGCE YEAR HEADS Miss A Wright, BSc, PGCE Mr C Walker / Mrs S McCurdy 14 Mr J Clarke / Mr A Kennedy 13 Miss A McClelland / Mrs D Dreaning 12 Mr M Cordner / Dr R Dobson 11 Miss J Cosgrove / Mrs J Neill 10 Mr J Erskine / Mrs J McCullagh 9 Mr M Miskelly / Miss L Carson 8 4 PART-TIME TEACHING STAFF AUXILIARY STAFF Mrs R Armstrong, BA, PGCE Financial Administrator Mrs C Neill Dr L Bradford, PhD, PGCE Principal’s PA Mrs S Johnston Mrs H Cartmill, BA, PGCE Secretarial Staff Mrs H Leathem, Mrs A McCurdy, Miss L Forsythe, BA, MA, PGCE Mrs D McRoberts, Mrs J Sayers Mrs G Gough, BA, PGCE Cover/Examinations Mr B O’Shaughnessy Mrs S Hassard, BEd Reprographics Technician Mrs L Cochrane Mrs B Kernaghan, BSc, PGCE Library Assistant Ms K McEvoy, BA, PGCE Mrs H Lawther, BA, PGCE Y14 Study Supervisor Mr A Harvey Mrs K Li, BSc (Hons) Laboratory Technicians Miss L Shannon, Mr S Sturgeon, Dr C Lorimer, BSc PhD, PGCE Miss G McFall Mrs D Stewart, BA, PGCE ICT Technicians Mr S Gilliland, BTEC HND, Miss M Stewart, BA, PGCE Mr J Curran Mrs R Thompson, BSc, PGCE HE/Art Technician Mrs N Hazley Mrs H Topping, BA, PGCE Technology Technician Mr M McKinney, BSc, DipDesInn Mrs D Wilkinson, BA, MEd, PGCE Pupil Welfare Auxiliary Mrs H Singer Classroom Assistants Mr M Bell, Mrs K Cromie, Mr D Duffin, Mrs S Gibbons, Mrs B Hampton, Mrs N Stewart Building Supervisors Mr S Curry, Mr J Kernaghan Foreign Language Assistants Mrs D Cunningham, Miss M Baztán Peiró Groundsman Mr S Savage 5 BANBRIDGE ACADEMY REVIEW 19-20 Headmaster’s Report 2019/20 The academic year This is the first year of our new Education Authority, therefore all of venture of producing a digital School the temporary posts in the school 2019/20 was without Magazine and I thank Mrs Gough continued for the academic year doubt one of the most and her team for compiling such a 2020/21. However, earlier in the year, wonderful record of the School Year. Mr Clarke and Mr Nash completed the challenging years in our Senior Leaders Pathway Programme, personal and professional The start of the academic year further developing the leadership 2020/21 has led to many necessary capacity across the school. lives. When our annual changes to our daily lives in the ski trip returned from Academy in order to ensure the The education of our young people safety of our pupils, colleagues and involves a partnership and I pay Italy in February, we the entire community. I was delighted tribute to my colleagues in our witnessed first-hand the to welcome pupils back to school primary schools who have created in September on a full-time basis. the foundation for the success our threat of the worldwide We introduced many protocols and pupils enjoy. I also thank our parents COVID-19 pandemic. The measures to ensure we minimised for their enduring support and risk and complied with the latest and encouragement – the pandemic has announcement by the ever changing Guidance from the consistently displayed the strength World Health Organisation Department of Education and the and resolve of the Academy family. Public Health Agency. As such, the that travel should be Board of Governors had to take the I place on record my personal thanks restricted to and from decision to cancel Prize Day 2020, but to my teaching and non-teaching it is very important, for future years, colleagues for all of their efforts various countries in that we have a brief record for the during these extraordinary times. The Northern European School Year 2019/20. Before outlining dedication, care and concern of my the year, I note the enormous health, colleagues for our pupils ensured that caused shock around the financial and personal challenges we remained open for the children of world, ultimately leading faced by everyone in our community key workers and maintained remote – my thoughts and prayers remain learning throughout the lockdown to a national lockdown with you all, especially those who period. The Senior Leadership Team and the unprecedented have lost loved ones and those who and the Heads of Department, are lonely or isolated. alongside their departmental closure of all schools in colleagues, worked tirelessly to March for the remainder The central aim of the Academy produce the statistics to ensure remains for everyone to be happy our pupils achieved the fantastic of the academic year. at school, known personally and outcomes they deserved, enabling cared for individually. We maintained them to progress successfully to our focus on educating the whole the next stage of their careers. person and to that end, in addition The mental health of our pupils is to our academic pursuits, a rich paramount and during lockdown diversity of artistic, dramatic, musical our pastoral team was central to the and sporting activities remained continuation of emotional support for on offer.