Lurgan College in Focus: a school relishing its present

Everyone in the school seeks to deliver a culture of academic and extra-curricular excellence, underpinned by strong pastoral care and support for every pupil. The size of the school is one of its major selling points. The smaller number ensures that no pupil is left behind.

In recent years Lurgan College has enjoyed significant academic success, consistently operating well above the Northern Ireland Grammar School average at 7+ A*-C at GCSE. In 2011 the school was placed 1st= in the Belfast Telegraph GCSE league table. Results at A Level are also very impressive with pupils securing year on year the university place of their choice. No pupil has secured less than an A grade in A Level, AS Level or GCSE Art & Design for 11 years. The school continues to enjoy considerable success with applications to Oxford and Cambridge Universities.

The school has just recently undergone an ETI Inspection and governors, staff, pupils and parents were absolutely delighted with the outcome. The inspectors rated the overall educational provision to be ‘very good’, commenting that the school was meeting effectively the educational and pastoral needs of all of its pupils.

The school’s academic excellence is complemented perfectly by outstanding success on the sporting field. This year the girls’ 1st XI hockey team won the Ulster Schools’ Cup and the Kate Russell All Ireland Championship, emulating the success of the 1955, 2003 and 2011 teams! The 2nd XI followed this up with the Ulster Schools’ 2nd XI title.

The major boys’ sport is rugby and the Medallion XV of 2013 emulated the Senior boys’ recent success at Trophy Level by lifting the Medallion Ulster Schools’ Trophy in March of this year.

In the summer of 2013 the 1st XV rugby squad will be touring British Columbia and Alberta, Canada.

The school offers a wide range of sports and other extra-curricular activities which are designed to suit all interests and tastes. There is a very strong musical tradition at the school and there are regular musical and drama productions.

A very active House System encourages participation in a host of competitions ranging from swimming to tug-of-war to debating.

Lurgan College is an active member of the Craigavon Area Leaning Community and curricular links at A Level with other schools such as St Michael’s Grammar School and Portadown College have proved most rewarding. In March of this year over 70 pupils from the College and St Michael’s embarked on a ground-breaking cross-sectoral trip to Italy which was a resounding success and an enriching experience for both schools.

The pupils have a very strong social conscience, evidenced, in particular, in the sterling work done by the Community Service Group who raise funds throughout the year for needy charities locally and further afield.

The school has a very strong Christian ethos which impacts strongly on all aspects of school life. The Scripture Union, one of the biggest societies in the school, meets regularly, supporting the spiritual welfare of the pupils and the staff.

Lurgan College as a school is thankful for the many blessings which God has chosen to bestow upon the school in recent times.