Every one of northern Ireland's top five schools is a Catholic grammar
Sector targeted by John O'Dowd leads Belfast Telegraph GCSE league table
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Catholic schools are outperforming all non-denominational schools at GCSE level, it can be revealed.
Five Catholic voluntary grammar schools have claimed the coveted top slot in this year's Belfast Telegraph league table.
St Joseph's Grammar, Donaghmore; Rathmore Grammar, Finaghy; St Mary's Grammar, Magherafelt; Our Lady's Grammar, Newry and Lumen Christi College, Londonderry all saw 100% of their pupils achieve five GCSEs including English and Maths at grades A* to C last year to rank joint first.
Since the Belfast Telegraph league tables began in 2012, it is the first time that schools in the Catholic sector have exclusively dominated the number one position.
And of the 10 highest achieving schools -- eight are now Catholic voluntary grammars compared to just four in 2013 and 2012.
The findings come just weeks after Sinn Fein Education Minister John O'Dowd gave approval to two Catholic grammar schools to abandon academic selection -- St Patrick's Grammar, Armagh and St Michael's Grammar, Lurgan.
St Michael's Grammar, Lurgan, which has improved its GCSE results year-on-year is to amalgamate with bottom of the league table schools, St Paul's Junior High and St Mary's High, both in Lurgan, to form a new non-selective voluntary grammar.
Meanwhile the historic St Patrick's Grammar, Armagh, has stopped selection with immediate effect.
A third grammar school, Loreto College, Coleraine, has already moved away from selection.
However, it will take several years to see if that decision has any impact on the three schools' GCSE results.
The two non denominational schools in the top 10 are Sullivan Upper, Holywood (voluntary grammar) in sixth place and Collegiate Grammar School, Enniskillen in 10th (controlled grammar).
It is also the third consecutive year that Lumen Christi College has been joint first with 100% of pupils achieving five so-called good GCSEs -- a feat no other school has been able to match.
But it is also a similar picture in the non-grammar sector with a Catholic maintained school outperforming schools in other sectors.
St Catherine's College, Armagh has retained its dominance of the non grammar sector with 71.7% of pupils achieving five GCSEs including English and Maths at grades C and above -- its results pipping two grammar schools, St Mary's Christian Brothers' Grammar (Belfast) and Strabane Academy.
And of the top 10 non grammar schools seven are Catholic maintained: St Catherine's College, St Patrick's High, Keady; St Patrick's co-ed Comprehensive College, Maghera; St Patrick's College, Banbridge; St Colmcille's High, Crossgar and Our Lady of Lourdes High, Ballymoney.
But of the 138 non grammars just 63 (less than half) were above their sector average with just 37.7% (one in three) of pupils achieving five GCSEs including English and Maths at grade C and above.
However, results have improved across the board with the Northern Ireland average, grammar average and non grammar average for the percentage of pupils achieving five good GCSEs all up year-on-year.
It is the third consecutive year the Northern Ireland average has risen, up from 60.1% to 60.9%.
The grammar school average is up from 92.9% to 93.9% while the non grammar average has seen the most improvement up from 36.2% to 37.7%.
Though while the picture is one of improvement -- of the 206 post primary schools just 74 (one in three) is on or above the Northern Ireland average with at least 60.9% of their pupils achieving five GCSEs including English and Maths at grades A* to C.
Of the 74 schools, 67 (out of 68) were grammars and just seven (out of 138) were non-grammars.
The non-grammars were Aughnacloy College, Slemish College (Ballymena), St Patrick's College (Banbridge), St Patrick's co-Ed Comprehensive (Maghera), St Patrick's High (Keady), Rathfriland High and St Catherine's College (Armagh).
This year 22 grammar (32%) schools fell below their sector average with less than 93.9% of pupils achieving five good GCSEs.
And just 91 (44%) schools had half or more of their pupils achieve five GCSEs including English and Maths at grades A* to C.
WHICH SCHOOLS ARE TOP OF THE CLASS?
Top five grammar schools:
Lumen Christi College (Londonderry)
Our Lady's Grammar (Newry)
Rathmore Grammar (Finaghy)
St Joseph's Grammar (Donaghmore)
St Mary's Grammar (Magherafelt)
Top five non-grammars:
St Catherine's College (Armagh)
Rathfriland High
St Patrick's High (Keady)
St Patrick's Co-Ed Comprehensive (Maghera)
St Patrick's College (Banbridge)
Top five boys' schools:
Portora Royal (Enniskillen)
St Patrick's Grammar (Downpatrick)
St Malachy's College (Belfast)
St Colman's College (Newry)
St Columb's College (Derry)
Top five girls' schools:
Our Lady's Grammar (Newry)
Loreto Grammar (Omagh)
Collegiate Grammar (Enniskillen)
Thornhill College (Derry)
Strathearn (Belfast)
Top five integrated schools:
Slemish College (Ballymena)
Drumragh Integrated College (Omagh)
New-bridge Integrated College (Loughbrickland)
Sperrin Integrated College (Magherafelt)
Lagan College (Belfast)
Top five Catholic grammar schools:
Lumen Christi College (Londonderry)
Our Lady's Grammar (Newry)
Rathmore Grammar (Finaghy)
St Joseph's Grammar (Donaghmore)
St Mary's Grammar (Magherafelt)
Top five non-denominational grammar schools:
Sullivan Upper (Holywood)
Collegiate Grammar School (Enniskillen)
Portora Royal (Enniskillen)
Friends' (Lisburn)
Ballymena Academy
Top five Catholic non-grammar schools:
St Catherine's College (Armagh)
St Patrick's High (Keady)
St Patrick's Co-Ed Comprehensive (Maghera)
St Patrick's College (Banbridge)
St Colmcille's High (Crossgar)
Top five controlled non-grammar schools:
Rathfriland High
Aughnacloy High
Kilkeel High
Dromore High
Ballycastle High
* Compiled by Lindsay Fergus. For the full league table, see today's Belfast Telegraph.
More must be done to close peformance gap: O'Dowd
THE Education Minister has admitted that despite rising standards "much more needs done".
He told the Belfast Telegraph: "This continuing improvement is welcome news. However, it is obvious that there is much more that needs done. I am clear that I want to see not only a growth in standards, but also a closing of the performance gap."
John O'Dowd attributed the improving picture to a number of factors including the department's ongoing focus "on raising educational outcomes for young people".
However, despite the success of grammar schools, and particularly Catholic grammar schools, Mr O'Dowd said: "I want to see every child fulfil his or her potential and am committed to driving out the inequities that still exist within our system."
More resources will be targeted to help schools provide support for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds "in order to reduce the level of educational underachievement that persists and break the link between social disadvantage and low educational outcomes," he explained.
He added: "The continued use of academic selection by grammar schools is also a barrier to addressing educational underachievement in disadvantaged communities. The campaign to end academic selection is not only an educational issue, it is an equality issue."
Mervyn Storey , chairman of the Assembly's Education Committee and Education spokesman for the DUP, has also welcomed the improving standards but claimed they highlight an inequality in the system "which is now impacting on schools and pupils".
He stated: "The maintained sector has benefited from additional support structures for school improvement for some considerable time.
"Not only do they receive substantial support from the Boards but for the last 20 years CCMS has been resourced to support the Catholic maintained schooling system. This has also meant that the sector has had a body which could be a strong advocate for additional resources to meet the needs of its schools.
"It is now time for the minister to establish an effective controlled schools body which can support this sector in bringing about similar and sustained improvements.
"This is the real equality issue at the heart of our education system to which the minister needs to turn his attention."
How we gathered data and calculated rankings
THE Department of Education collects a range of data on the performances of pupils at GCSE level.
We, as in the previous two years, decided to use the Government benchmark of five GCSEs, including English and Maths, at grades A* to C, as this is also recognised as the standard required to secure most employment.
Because that is the desired minimum level for every pupil – regardless of what school they attend – we opted to feature all 206 post primary schools (five less than last year) in one table and use the Northern Ireland average.
We have also indicated what type of school it is – grammar or non-grammar.
Although we have put the schools in numerical order based on the percentage of pupils achieving five GCSES, including English and Maths at grade C or above, the picture is generally more complex than the ranking suggests.
The data has been taken from the Northern Ireland School Census, Summary of Annual Examination Results, provided by the Department of Education, which includes GCSEs and equivalent qualifications. The figures also include pupils with Special Educational Needs.
Our information lists:
* The school's rank based solely on the percentage of pupils that achieved five GCSEs including English and Maths at grades A* – C.
* School name
* School location
* The percentage of pupils that achieved five GCSEs or equivalents including English and Maths at grades A* to C in the 2012/13 school year.
* The percentage of pupils who are entitled to free school meals, which is used as an indicator of pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds.
* The percentage of pupils who are recognised as having Special Education Needs.
* Whether a school is a grammar or non-grammar.
* Up, down or same is a year-on-year comparison (2012/13 to 2011/12) of how many pupils achieved five GCSEs, including English and Maths at grades C and above.
* And the last column shows where we ranked the school in 2013.
As a working class boy who benefitted greatly from the grammar school system and now lives in England, I feel the need to remind NI people just how good the education system is 'over there' rather than 'over here' because of the grammar school / selection system. A previous comment that a move to the comprehensive system is moving everyone to the lowest common denominator is absolutely spot on - I've seen it in action over here and it's frightening to think of what could happen if applied in NI. It doesn't matter that the schools doing well now are Catholic or otherwise, I'm sure the other grammars aren't far behind and will take their turn at the top of the pile in due course. Please, people of NI, do not let your education system change, it's a jewel and standout feature of NI life. If you change it you will be so, so sorry...
Hi Exile123 Good comment borne out of personal experience.
The so called 'educationalists' here, who of course all went to grammars themselves but who in most cases never taught a day in their lives, are completey deaf to anybody who differs with their socialization/comprehensivisation programme for all post PS schools. They are fervently aided and abetted by Sinn Fein most of the SDLP and also the Catholic hierarchy. The joke is again that Sinn Fein MLAs and SDLP MLAs usually elect to send their children to grammars when they get the chance!
The so called 'educationalists' here, who of course all went to grammars themselves but who in most cases never taught a day in their lives, are completey deaf to anybody who differs with their socialization/comprehensivisation programme for all post PS schools. They are fervently aided and abetted by Sinn Fein most of the SDLP and also the Catholic hierarchy. The joke is again that Sinn Fein MLAs and SDLP MLAs usually elect to send their children to grammars when they get the chance!
We are all different. There is no such thing as equality of abilities. That concept is only in the mind of people whose ideological beliefs trump their logic and the evidence all around them.
All this Communism does is drag everybody down to the lowest common denominator. The brightest of N.I. kids should be facilitated, not held back. This way these bright kids will start companies that will give everybody else jobs.
John O'Dowd is a complete muppet and should not be control of our childrens education.
All this Communism does is drag everybody down to the lowest common denominator. The brightest of N.I. kids should be facilitated, not held back. This way these bright kids will start companies that will give everybody else jobs.
John O'Dowd is a complete muppet and should not be control of our childrens education.
And on reading your comments today RegKeane - including your thinly veiled approval of the UDA fascism in Larne - I'd say you're a complete bigot who is judging John O'Dowd on his religious background and have a cheek to call anyone a muppet.
Some of the Shinners have their own brand of Socialism which they adopt when it suits them. Did you hear the joke about one of them a few years ago who stood in front of a class at a girls grammar school in Belfast and dictated to the pupils why the grammar school system was unfair and should not exist . His own daughter was one of the pupils ! This would be funny if the situation was not so serious.
'Every one of Northern Ireland's top five schools is a Catholic grammar.'
Well done to all children both Catholic and Protestant, who have worked hard and done well. And of course well done to all highly rated schools.
But well done too, to all teachers in poor Secondaries, Catholic and Protestant who have struggled hard on a daily basis, against overwhelming odds, to improve their pupil's level of education, even if this meant the pupils entered, moved from a potential F grade to a D grade! This too has to be accepted as success but it is not when looking at league tables!
Some general remarks as to the use of league tables.
If all of the children before you in your class are well self disciplined and genuinely want to learn and have already proved themselves to be high academic flyers throughout PS, does this make you a good teacher if 5 years later, unremarkably, these same children gain top GCSE grades? This remark obviously applies to our Grammars.
If on the other hand a Secondary school teacher in an inner Belfast school achieves only a 20% A-C pass rate in his/her class of 25, does this mean that they are a poor teacher?- Especially if we factor in poor attendance, poor parental support/interest, unsupportive headteacher, poor level of school discipline and where the majority of the class were already rated as very weak academically, when the left PS.
The Belfast Telegraph League tables make interesting reading. The tables are based on % a-c, GCSE pass rate achieved by a school.
What they do not show is, how many pupils were entered in any given subject. ie A school might enter only 5 selected students for a Geography GCSE. All 5 were predicted to do well and do so. Therefore they achieve a 100% GCSE pass rate in their subject.
As said the league tables do not mention how many pupils were entered and how many others were 'dissuaded' from entering or asked to leave and go to another school, because it was known that they would gain low grades and thus bring that school's % pass rate down.
Again the league tables do not show or make reference to the different GCSE exams that pupils sat for. Some Board exams, especially English Board exams, are a lot easier to do and are easier marked that NIr Board exams, which have a far erreputation. So an C given by an English Board exam might only warrent a D here because of our stringent marking.
What I am getting at is that school grades/percentages etc are not exactly all that they might first appear. I do concede however that they are as good as we are likely to get and generally speaking are a reasonable indicator of overall school performance, but as I've said you have got to look much closer at how the figures were arrived at.
Well done to all children both Catholic and Protestant, who have worked hard and done well. And of course well done to all highly rated schools.
But well done too, to all teachers in poor Secondaries, Catholic and Protestant who have struggled hard on a daily basis, against overwhelming odds, to improve their pupil's level of education, even if this meant the pupils entered, moved from a potential F grade to a D grade! This too has to be accepted as success but it is not when looking at league tables!
Some general remarks as to the use of league tables.
If all of the children before you in your class are well self disciplined and genuinely want to learn and have already proved themselves to be high academic flyers throughout PS, does this make you a good teacher if 5 years later, unremarkably, these same children gain top GCSE grades? This remark obviously applies to our Grammars.
If on the other hand a Secondary school teacher in an inner Belfast school achieves only a 20% A-C pass rate in his/her class of 25, does this mean that they are a poor teacher?- Especially if we factor in poor attendance, poor parental support/interest, unsupportive headteacher, poor level of school discipline and where the majority of the class were already rated as very weak academically, when the left PS.
The Belfast Telegraph League tables make interesting reading. The tables are based on % a-c, GCSE pass rate achieved by a school.
What they do not show is, how many pupils were entered in any given subject. ie A school might enter only 5 selected students for a Geography GCSE. All 5 were predicted to do well and do so. Therefore they achieve a 100% GCSE pass rate in their subject.
As said the league tables do not mention how many pupils were entered and how many others were 'dissuaded' from entering or asked to leave and go to another school, because it was known that they would gain low grades and thus bring that school's % pass rate down.
Again the league tables do not show or make reference to the different GCSE exams that pupils sat for. Some Board exams, especially English Board exams, are a lot easier to do and are easier marked that NIr Board exams, which have a far erreputation. So an C given by an English Board exam might only warrent a D here because of our stringent marking.
What I am getting at is that school grades/percentages etc are not exactly all that they might first appear. I do concede however that they are as good as we are likely to get and generally speaking are a reasonable indicator of overall school performance, but as I've said you have got to look much closer at how the figures were arrived at.
Once again TJ a pleasure to read your post. So if I understand you correctly behind the raw numbers there are contexts that impact upon the kids, the school, the community and even the actual exams used that should be considered when trying to extrapolate information from the raw data. In short behind every grade in every exam there is a child for whom school is just a piece of a social jig saw puzzle they are a part of. I have good friends whose kids go to one of those top five schools mentioned here. Great kids, great parents who are very involved and the kids are just joy to be with, they will go far. I know another kid going to a 'prestigious' Grammar. Parents devoted but spoil the child rotten. KId too smart for his own good, major behavioural problems now at a boarding school a long way from home. So the 'problem child' is removed from the school. Not many schools can have that kind of luxury. Doesn't matter how good the school or teachers are at all if they aren't reinforced and supported by engaged parents. Thanks again.
