*

Mr Funston said that, in terms of the achievements and experiences, students surpassed the record results of 2013 with 20 of the 24 subjects offered at GCSE Level showing an improvement grades at A* to C on the previous year.

He said the percentage of pupils achieving five or more grades at A* to C was 65, with 34 pupils achieving nine A* to C grades, 12 pupils achieved eight and a further nine pupils achieving seven.

“Altogether, 89 of our pupils achieved five or more grades in the A* to C range,” he said.

“The A Level results last year were also excellent, with 82 per cent of grades awarded A* to C, representing an increase of four per cent on the previous year, while the total pass rate was 99 per cent.

“Dillon King, Connor Neely and Loren Smallwoods all achieved two A*s and a B, while Chloe Kennedy achieved an A* and 2 A Grades,” he said.

Mr Funston said the outcomes in the exams proved that the effort and commitment given by pupils and teachers was extremely effective.

“This outstanding performance deserves high praise. I would like to thank the parents who in their own way support these young people through what can be a daunting experience. The support from parents and the close partnership between school and home is a vital factor in the success of our students.

“Another vital factor is the quality of the teachers. The pupils in this school are very fortunate to be taught, guided, mentored and advised by such a good teaching staff; teachers who are prepared to go the extra mile to help children achieve these excellent results. This is due in no small part to the enthusiasm, imagination, knowledge, hard work and commitment which the teachers display day in, day out,” the principal said.

“An example of this dedication and commitment in practice was once again our very successful series of revision classes after school and on Saturday mornings. Teachers gave of their time and expertise to ensure that the young people were as well prepared for the examinations as they could possibly be. And there is no doubt that this was a significant factor in the success of our students and definitely accomplished one of our main aims, to see our students realise their potential academically and personally. We are undoubtedly fortunate to have such dedicated professionals,” Mr Funston said.

Last year ETI carried out a follow up inspection in the school and reported that they were very pleased with the progress being made. Their findings included the development of a highly effective use of the school’s internal data and thorough tracking of pupils’ progress both individually and collectively; the strategic leadership of the school provides a clear sense of purpose, direction, improvement and means of accountability both at whole school and subject levels; the school has effected a distribution of roles and responsibilities which has helped establish a positive working environment, with open lines of communication and appropriate challenge and support existing between middle and senior leadership; available data is being used well to identify pupils at risk, set individual targets, and monitor their progress, helping also to inform better planning for learning and the design of the curriculum; the outcome of rigorous self-evaluation provides a clear direction which is continuing to improve aspects of teaching and learning and to raise standards; the school has established procedures which facilitate the sharing of good practice, both in leadership and in teaching, which are reflected in the quality of teaching and learning observed during the Inspection, which was always good or very good. Overall the Inspectorate classified the school as good.

Mr Funston said that, despite the stringent cuts to services in the front line, teaching and learning in the school continued to improve: “We continue to encourage and enthuse children and help them to realise their hopes and aspirations, and we continue to prepare our young people for the next stage in their education, for the workplace and to take their places as valuable members of our community and society.

“The school continues to cater for a wide range of ability, whether it is preparing A Level students for university at one end of the range to dealing with pupils with Special Educational Needs at the other end,” he said, continuing: “This year the return of pupils to sixth form has once again been very encouraging. It is obvious that our young people value the education provided by the teachers in Lisneal and that is very encouraging. Also more young people are beginning to see that their education must continue until at least the age of 18.

“As a member of the Foyle Learning Community, which is made up of the post primary education providers in this area, we are committed to working together to increase and develop curricular provision for all pupils. We work closely with our partner schools in giving our young people greater choice in the subjects available to them while encouraging the students to embrace other cultures. Last year St Mary’s College, St Cecelia’s and Lisneal maintained the excellent cross community work delivered through the Contested Space Programme,” he said.

The programme involved pupils from the three Colleges participating in shared Learning for Life and Work classes and offered a practical dimension to the citizenship programme. There is no doubt that the young people involved in the programme learned how much they actually have in common. The Programme promotes tolerance and understanding and helps to forge friendships.

Meanwhile, the College has continued to be opened to the community and the school’s sports facilities were open every night of the week. Local groups from educational, sporting, voluntary and social groups used the College’s facilities throughout the year, and there had been much positive feedback.

“Last year we faced the challenge of maintaining the service we provide for all the members of our community. The team I have the privilege to lead has proved to be more than capable of meeting that challenge. The findings of the Inspectorate are significant and the young people whom we reward tonight are a testament to the commitment by all. We face the future with confidence and I am convinced that we will build on the substantial and sustained improvements made last year and continue to be successful,” Mr Funston said.