Slideshow: Slemish College open evenings
Guests received a warm welcome from both staff and, importantly, from the College students themselves to the evenings which allowed the prospective pupils and their parents to explore the ethos of the school, experiencing first-hand the energy and enthusiasm for learning that has become synonymous with Slemish College.
Additionally, principal Dr Paul McHugh was keen to highlight the college’s high standards and academic prowess having been named as top performing integrated school in the 2014 GCSE examinations.
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With regard to ‘A’ Level, Dr McHugh outlined the fact that all A2 students in 2014 achieved the required grades to pursue their chosen pathways; 55% had profiles which enabled them to attend Russell Group universities and other elite universities.
Past pupils are currently undertaking PhDs at Cambridge and Oxford whilst new links have been formed with Eton which have led to three students attending their summer school last year, he said.
Dr McHugh congratulated past pupil Shannon Leakey who has just received an award for achieving first place in Mathematics at Trinity College Dublin, former Head Boy Robert Wilson who recently received the Mellon Scholarship to attend Yale following his highly successful studies at Cambridge and Stephen McCall who has just commenced his Phd studies at University of Oxford.
He also spoke of the successful vocational routes Slemish students undertook including apprenticeships with successful companies such as PWC and Bombardier.
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Dr McHugh stated: “Regardless of your background or ability, we welcome all students from all traditions and we will invest in you to ensure that you fulfil your potential. We value the strength of our partnerships with parents, working together to make sure that you are on a seven year journey which will lead you to success.
“School can offer much more, however, we want you to be happy and to feel like a valued and important member of our community. We
encourage you to get involved in the vibrant extra-curricular activities on offer, with a vast range of enhancement activities and highly competitive House competitions throughout the year.”
Dr McHugh also spoke of the college’s commitment to the community with links to local and global charities, explaining how as a school with a Christian ethos, it has caring approach which is fostered amongst the young people.
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The College prides itself on its collegiate approach to learning and this was highlighted with students from all year groups involved in the many activities on show across the 15 departments.
P6 and P7 children were encouraged to look at History with a ‘Come Dine With Me’ theme whilst in RE a Photo Booth allowed participants to explore different attire for various occasions and historical figures. In Business and ICT, the audience took part in a Dragon’s Den style challenge, judging real GCSE course work tasks which involved the students designing, making and pitching their own computer games.
The college would like to thank those who attended and all who helped make the open nights such a success.
Should anyone require any further information about either entry to the college via academic selection or through all-ability
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admission, please do not hesitate to contact the college office on 02825630156 or via email on [email protected]
Further information may also be obtained on the college website www.slemishcollege.org.uk, Facebook and Twitter.