College celebrates

Mr Robinson, Headmaster of Lurgan College, could not conceal his sheer delight with the record-breaking performances by his impressive pupils in their GCSE examinations.

“I am very proud of all of my pupils who, through their academic endeavours, have brought great honour to themselves, their families, their school and their community. I am absolutely thrilled for my dedicated teaching staff who have worked tirelessly and selflessly to assist these young people realise their full academic potential. I acknowledge, once again, the key role played by our colleagues in Lurgan Junior High School and, of course, our excellent feeder primary schools who provided them with a solid foundation in the earlier parts of their education and who year on year furnish our high achieving 14-19 Grammar School with strongly motivated pupils of the highest academic quality.”

These excellent results continue to see the Dickson Plan Grammar School very well placed in the national press as one of the top achieving schools in the whole of the UK at this level.

The 113 Year 12 pupils of Lurgan College managed to break every single previous school record at this level. Grades A* and A accounted for an incredible 56% of the total grades achieved (compared to the NI average of just 28%) while grades A*-B accounted for over 90% of the total grades achieved. The overall pass rate of over 99% was significantly higher than the NI average of 75%. Another outstanding statistic was the 100% of pupils who obtained at least seven GCSEs at grades A*-C (including English and Mathematics) – a truly remarkable achievement at this level.

Top grades were recorded in all of the different subject areas but the results in Art and Design (where all of the pupils achieved A*/A grades for a 10th successive year), in ICT (where A*/A grades accounted for over 90% of the total grades achieved) and in Mathematics, ICT, Business Studies, Home Economics, Geography, History, Religious Studies, LLW, English Literature, Art & Design, Music and Physical Education (where over 90% of the pupils obtained A*-B grades) are surely worthy of special mention. The following subjects scored a pleasing 100% pass rate at grades A*-C: Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics, Business Studies, Home Economics, Art & Design, Journalism, Geography, History, Religious Studies, English Language, English Literature, French, Music and Physical Education.

Two pupils were awarded 11 straight A* grades: Bethany Barr (Waringstown PS) and Victoria Kinkaid (King’s Park PS).

Another six pupils, Serena Barr (Waringstown PS), Louise Emerson (Ardmore PS), Laura Fulton (King’s Park PS), Hannah Girvan (King’s Park PS), Rachel Kennedy (King’s Park PS) and Laura King (King’s Park PS) achieved an amazing 11 A* and A grades.

The following nine pupils obtained 10 straight A*/A grades: Katie Allen (King’s Park PS), Danielle Bann (King’s Park PS), Michelle Hand (King’s Park PS), Matthew Johnston (King’s Park PS), Rebekah Johnston (Crumlin PS), Alexandra McCarthy (King’s Park PS), Lauren McKay (Moira PS), Jack Patterson (King’s Park PS) and Abbie Robinson (King’s Park PS).

10 pupils secured 9 A*/A grades: Aimee Cairns (Waringstown PS), Hannah Clegg (Waringstown PS), Rebecca Cromie (Waringstown PS), Amy Dickson (King’s Park PS), Martin Dickson (Carrick PS), Kayleigh Edwards (King’s Park PS), Karissa Glenn (King’s Park PS), Louise McCullough (King’s Park PS), Hannah McShane (King’s Park PS) and Leah Smith (King’s Park PS).

Kerry Anderson (King’s Park PS), Ryan Best (King’s Park PS), Rebecca Collins (King’s Park PS), Jordan Hutton (Waringstown PS), Jason Ki (Waringstown PS), Gemma McKitterick (King’s Park PS), Rebecca McLoughlin (Maralin PS), Jason McMahon (King’s Park PS), Ellen Mullen (King’s Park PS), Sophie Smyth (Ballycarrickmaddy PS), Aimee Walker (King’s Park PS) and Iain Wilson (Waringstown PS) were the 12 pupils who achieved 8 A*/A grades:

The now annual late release of the results coming so near the start of the new term has once again put a high degree of strain on the system. The College staff have been extremely busy advising and guiding pupils as they finalise their choices for next year with the vast majority returning to study four AS Levels in the ever-growing Sixth Form of Lurgan College. Mr Robinson concluded: “These results reflect, once again, the outstanding success of our deeply cherished Dickson Plan with its system of delayed academic transfer at age 14. This irrefutable evidence of the effectiveness of the popular Craigavon Two Tier System should surely inspire us all within the system in general and in the Lurgan community in particular to protect and build upon our well tried and tested Dickson Plan in the challenging years ahead.”