Ballymoney High School
Year 8 Induction
A big well done to all our Year 8s! They have completed their first month at Ballymoney High and
have made a really good start. Keep up the good work Year 8! Parents of Year 8 you are reminded
that you are invited to a ‘Parent Power’ workshop on Monday 12th October.
On Monday 26th October (during Half Term break for the pupils) you are invited to a Parent
consultation afternoon to find out how your child has settled in and is progressing. This will be a
good chance to meet all of your child’s teachers.
School Enhancement Project.
Work on the new extension continues and we are told that we are still on schedule to
be finished at the end of March. In addition over the summer months and through this month we
have had extensive refurbishment of the front entrance, foyer and office spaces. This work is due to
be finally completed in the next few weeks.
Extended Schools Programme
This year the school has got involved in the Extended Schools Programme. Key aspects of the
programme include:
The appointment of a Family Support Worker- Mr Stephen McFarland. Mr McFarland will be
in Ballymoney High 4 days per week and in the Leaney Primary School 1 day per week to
provide additional pastoral support for pupils.
From Wednesday 14th October a coursework/homework club will run after school each
Wednesday and Thursday 3.30-6.30pm. A teacher will support pupils at the club and pupils
will have access to the library and computers.
After Christmas we will run Essential Skills Literacy and Essential Skills Numeracy classes.
These are open to any member of the community and will be 12 week courses provided free
of charge here in school.
On 18th November we will be running a Parent support evening for parents of pupils in
Years 11 and 12 who are completing exams and coursework. This will provide help and
guidance on supporting your child.
In January Ballymoney High and some of the other local schools will be holding a Health and
Wellbeing Fair with a variety of local representatives.
After Halloween more clubs will be added to our current extra-curricular provision- all free
of charge for pupils. These include a music club two lunchtimes per week with external
tutors, drama club and an additional health and fitness club.
‘Scream, Shout and let it all Out (SSO) Club
We have just launched a new lunchtime initiative on a Monday for Year 11
and Year 12 pupils. This is a club named by the pupils as Scream, Shout
and let it all Out (SSO)- an ‘interesting’ choice as I am sure you will agree!
It is run by Start 360 in conjunction with the Children’s and Young Peoples
Strategic Partnership. We are very pleased that we have been able to
launch this new and innovative initiative at Ballymoney High School as it
gives opportunity for further support and pastoral care for our young people while allowing the
school to build further links with the community and external support agencies. Each week a
variety of external agencies will come along and give pupils advice on key issues which may impact
on senior pupils eg. exam pressure, bullying, stress etc. Key to this initiative will be the pupil voice
with young people taking the lead in activities and the future direction of the club. The project is
part of a wider planned programme which the school will play a prominent role in, in coming
months- ‘It takes a Community to educate a Child’. By working in partnership with local statutory
and non-statutory bodies we hope we can help to make a difference to the lives of young people in
the area. We are very grateful to the Children’s and Young Peoples Strategic Partnership and Start
360 for their work in supporting the school in this initiative.
Sixth Form Provision
We are currently exploring the possibilities of being able to give our pupils the best chance possible of being
able to remain a pupil enrolled at Ballymoney High to complete their 16-19 studies. At present pupils who
wish to further their studies have to move to another school or college- often outside the town and year on
year many of our pupils give us feedback of their preference and desire to have Sixth form provision at
Ballymoney High. As many of you will be aware we currently share some courses with Our Lady of Lourdes
and Dalriada School at GCSE level with pupils being able to access subjects across the three schools. This
allows our pupils to have a greater choice and is a more efficient use of resources. We are currently
discussing the possibilities of extending this type of model into Sixth Form. By working collaboratively in
this way we could potentially be able to offer Sixth form for our pupils at Ballymoney High with pupils being
able to have the choice of vocational or academic subjects at either their own school or another in
Ballymoney town. If anyone has any further comments or feedback on this exciting initiative please feel free
to contact me at the school.
Friends of Ballymoney High School
The Friends of Ballymoney High School group would like to develop further this year and are calling on any
interested people who would like to become members of the group. All parents are welcome.
Dates for the Diary up to Christmas
Event
Date
Year group involved
‘Parent Power’ workshop
12th
October
Year 8
Year 12 Parent Consultation Evening
Tuesday 13th October
Year 12
Prize Day
(Guest Speaker Northern Ireland Commissioner
for Children and Young People)
Friday 23rd October
All notified Prize
winners
Half term holiday
Monday 26th- Friday 30th
All
Year 8 Parent Consultation afternoon
Monday 26th October
Year 8
Year 11 Parent Consultation afternoon
Tuesday 3rd November
Year 11
Parent support workshop on supporting
children through GCSE study
School Examinations
Wednesday 18th November
Year 11 and Year 12
Tuesday 1st –Tuesday 8th
December
Tuesday 15th December
Years 8-11
School closes Friday 18th
11.15am and new term begins
4th January
All
Wednesday 6th- 15th
(Year 12 study leave will be
11th-15th only)
Year 12
Annual School Carol Service
First Ballymoney Church
(Parents and friends welcome)
Christmas Holiday
GCSE Mock Examinations
Monday
All
Year 12 Work Experience will be Monday 25th-Friday 29th January
Extra-curricular
We have a varied extra-curricular programme throughout the year. The extra-curricular timetable
is attached. Please encourage your child to get involved in as many clubs as they can.
To keep up-to-date with school life check out the school website
www.ballymoneyhigh.ballymoney.ni.sch.uk