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Madam Chair, Honoured Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen
In 2002, I urged my audience not to be too concerned about the
Costello proposals to abolish the Transfer Test. I argued that abolition
didn’t mean the end of grammar schools. If we stood by our ethos of
high academic expectations, then we could be sure that there would
be many young men who would not choose Portora as their school of
choice at transfer for they would see that the fit between their
academic aspirations and this school was not a given.
Looking at recent evidence, I realize now that I was off the mark.
Twelve years later, with significantly fewer young men in the county,
112 candidates have enrolled for our Transfer assessments. We may
not be the most highly over-subscribed school in the county,
whatever that betokens, but we are attracting interest from young
men, many of whom will not understand the expectations of a
grammar school. And the narrative of our examination successes
indicates that while it is possible to support a student cohort
identified by a broad academic profile to success at GCSE, it is more
difficult to support a student cohort with a broad academic profile to
success at GCE A level.
So forgive me if I reconfigure my argument of twelve years ago and
consider more carefully what a grammar should look like in the
context of falling rolls leading to a broad academic intake.
The standard definition of a grammar school - one given to me last
year by a Year 11 student - is a school which selects its pupils
according to an assessment of academic ability at the age of 10 or 11.
In 1944, when Britain was beginning to address post-war rebuilding it
was expected that academic ability would be identified through a test
taken at the age of 10. The top 25% to 30% of the population sitting
the test would be offered places at grammar schools which were
then regarded as being designed to prepare them for higher
education, banking or the civil service. Later, in Northern Ireland, it
was agreed that if parents paid a tuition fee they could buy a place
for their child at a grammar school with the place being subject to an
annual review. Miraculously, most pupils gained a grammar school
place after a year of fee-paying.
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Although the contradictions of such a system soon became fissures,
that arrangement served for forty years. In the 1980s, it proved
untenable. A population decrease meant that many grammar
schools, including this one, were in danger of collapsing.
Enter Open Enrolment.
This was an initiative introduced to save the grammar schools
whereby each school was allocated an intake number. Thus,
grammar school intake and enrolment were protected and significantly - selection was no longer determined by a defined
performance in an academic assessment, rather the assessment
became the means by which the grammar school could identify that
number of applicants which constituted its intake.
The result was that the academic profile of most grammar schools
became broader and - in the context of further population decrease non-grammar schools would be denied pupils who were - of
necessity - recruited into grammar schools.
Opened enrolment ensured the survival of selective schools. While
the diminishing population meant that many secondary schools
became unsustainable and closed or amalgamated. But if selective
schools were saved from the consequences of population decline,
open enrolment meant that they were compromised as grammar
schools.
Today, many of the oldest grammar schools educating boys only in
Northern Ireland must educate young men who present with a broad
academic profile.
We are one such school. Our Year 8 students are drawn from the top
55% of the population.
Where we differ from those other boys’ schools is that the results of
our students at GCSE now outstrip those of most other schools
including those with a top-end academic intake.
In 2013, our GCSE results placed Portora Royal School as the top
achieving boys’ school in Northern Ireland and eleventh overall.
This year, 2014, our students achieved even better results.
There are two measurements by which school achievement is
measured at GCSE. One is the percentage of students achieving seven
GCSE passes at A*-C. In Portora our figure was 100%.
No school can achieve higher.
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The other is the percentage of students achieving seven GCSE passes
at A*-C including English and Mathematics. Here our figure is 99%
(one boy failed English). That will rank us highly.
The third measure is one for all schools, grammar and non-grammar:
the percentage of students achieving five GCSE passes at A*-C
including English and Mathematics. Our figure is 99%.
No school in the county has topped those figures and few schools
anywhere in Northern Ireland will do so.
48% of all grades were either A or A*, so you will appreciate that
there were many individual success stories.
The outstanding individual performance belonged to Conor Keys who
proved that achieving excellence was a transferable skill by achieving
11 A star grades while preparing for the Irish National Championships
in which he participated as one of the winning Junior 8.
Conor’s performance in GCSE Technology and design ranked him 2nd
in Northern Ireland.
In the midst of innumerable other successful students, I was
particularly pleased to note that the three students who carry an
alphabetic handicap - between them achieved 31 As and A star
grades. I am referring to Jack Wilson, Scott Wilson and Thom Wilson.
As I have sought to make clear to you in most of my communications,
these fine examination results are happening in the context of
change.
As well as our students manifesting a broad academic profile, greater
proportions of them avail of free school meals and carry special
educational requirements.
These are contextual factors which defeat many other grammar
schools. Yet our results have been improving.
This improvement is a consequence of the structures and procedures
we have put in place to keep parents more alert to their children’s
progress against their targets and the strategies we have adopted to
support students in danger of under-achieving. For several years, we
have refused study leave to a number of students and have put in
place individualized timetables instead. While the improvement in
our results may be the consequence of such initiatives, it is the
professionalism, care and support of our teachers which have made
them work.
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However, there is a knock-on effect for such success at GCSE for all
schools in the county: more students can access A level courses.
For many of those students success at GCSE allows them to achieve
their ambitions to gain places in top universities. But there is a
significant number who take on A level courses which they do not
enjoy and for which they do not the capacities to ensure high level
success. Given the level of support they receive, some students
achieve good GCSE results without having to engage too heavily in
independent study. But when they move to A level study they are
faced with heavy subject content requiring deep analysis, and carry a
heavy work commitment. It is no shame to acknowledge that they
when they would be better tackling on areas of study drawing on
different skills and characteristics.
And this is where our system needs more resources. We need to be
able to offer all our students post-16 subjects and experiences which
allow them all to succeed. The Fermanagh Learning Community has
served an important purpose here for some students but much more
needs to be done. We must offer students more; not just more
subjects but more subjects in more flexible and coherent
combinations which allow them to study their choices while ensuring
their combination of subjects will have currency outside school.
The key measurement of a school’s achievement at A level is the
percentage of students achieving 3 or more A level subjects at A*-C.
This year 72% of our students achieved this. That may be the best in
the county.
But it is below the average for NI grammar schools.
In the last three years only one school in the county has achieved
figures at A level which exceeded the average for NI grammar
schools. That is Portora Royal School.
So while our students can claim a place in the top percentile of NI
grammar schools for their GCSE results, over the past three years
they have been unable to sustain that level of excellence. They have
done well. They have done very well in comparison with the other
schools in Fermanagh and, given the appropriate resources and
opportunities, they will do better.
Yet, for all my forensic frankness, we must remember that our
outcomes are the best they have been in the school’s history.
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In terms of individual successes at A level, few students could
bettered Matthew Coalter’s four A stars. And Matthew Wilson
achieved three As and one A grades a performance which won him a
JP McManus All Ireland scholarship.
Adam Wilkins was ranked second among Northern Ireland’s students
in The Moving Image Arts examination at A level and Aaron Brown
was ranked 2nd in A level Design and Technology.
At AS level, the Art work of Euen Murray and Tommy Dickson was
retained as exemplar material and will go on display in a public
exhibition.
Jordan Coalter, Jordan Crawford and Lewis Vance achieved full marks
at GCSE Art and were thereby ranked equal first in Northern Ireland.
Lining up behind these headline performances were many others
who achieved highly. Importantly, all our students were able to
access the university courses of their choice.
The Chair has already referred to the ranking of Portorans in GCSE
and A level since 2008. It is an outstanding record. I did a little
calculation: in the seven years since 2008, nine students of
Technology and Design at Portora have featured in the top three
rankings in Northern Ireland at GCSE and A level: four at GCSE and
five at A level. They comprise three third placings, five second
placings and one first place. That is an amazing achievement and an
enormous credit to Mr Trevor Smith and Mr Ray Clarke.
We believe in our students, and we expect the best from them and to
that end we interrogate our examination outcomes with rigour. Our
analyses - supported by the University of Durham and confirmed by
the Department of Education - tell us that this school - or more
appropriately, the teachers in this school - adds value to each
student’s experience. This year, our students achieved on average, in
each subject, between half a grade and a grade better than their
prior assessments indicated they could achieve. And that means a
level of achievement higher than if they had been at another school
or at this school in another generation.
But this is how it should be. Our claim to be a grammar school
requiring a selection process places a heavy responsibility on us to
ensure that we retain high expectations of ourselves and our
students while meeting the needs of all of those students who come
to us.
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The true mark of a grammar school is the achievements of its
students after seven years of study. And it is our aspiration that those
achievements are such as to permit our students access to
universities attracting the top entrants into demanding innovative
courses crucial to our cultural, social and physical well-being.
But we must also make sure that our students have clear career
pathways. That is why the Board of Governors agreed to extend the
Careers provision in school by recruiting Mr Beddard and Ms
Donnelly to join Mr Dempster in that crucial enterprise. High quality
students require high quality careers education, advice, information
and guidance.
And we continue to review our curriculum offer. We do not add
subjects willy-nilly but believe that an academic curriculum must be
coherent and sustainable. We will continue to offer appropriate
subjects taught by enthusiastic specialists, broadening choice but
demanding focus.
And, of course, we remain the only school in the county requiring all
year 13 students to study four subjects at AS level and the only one
to offer Further Maths at A level.
Over the past two years we have introduced Business Studies and
Physical Education as A level subjects. These are both rigorous
courses, chosen because they meet the interests of a number of our
students and because they cohere with others into viable career
pathways.
As you may gather, evaluation and review are core professional
activities at this school. Mr Smith as Deputy Head carries the
responsibility for quality assurance in learning nd teaching in the
school. There is no-one better qualified. He leads the process and the
procedures of school improvement with key input from Mrs Goodall,
as teacher in charge of data an performance, and the Heads of
Learning Areas. The implementation of strategies identified to meet
student needs is led by Mrs Maxwell, Mr Gaston and Ms Heap
working with the Heads of Key Stages, Mr Clarke and Mrs Rees. The
administrative and organizational underpinnings for all of this activity
are ensured by Ms Heap and Mrs Stronge. Mrs Stronge ensures we
can manage our budget while still developing programmes and
initiatives; Ms Heap, while ensuring our Transfer procedures retain
integrity has a special role in Teacher support.
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The leaders of Learning Areas, Mr Sloan, Mr Mason, Mrs O’Donohue
and Mrs Rees oversee at the range of subject areas as well as having
responsibility for their own departments.
Those teachers whose main professional areas are their classrooms,
nevertheless exercise themselves in a myriad of ways in the culture
of learning and achievement throughout the school as well as
ensuring rich extra-curricular opportunities.
Mr Beddard has constituted a sustainable and effective School
Council as well as leading on CRED initiatives with St Michael’s. He is
also in charge of the Medallion Rugby;
Mr McCallum and Ms Bersot are the Brendan Rodgers and Arsene
Wenger of Portora football (or is it Vinnie Jones and Eric Cantona?
The jury’s out). The senior football team made it through to the
Vauxhall Plate Final held on 30th April at the Ballymena
Showgrounds. There, we enjoyed a one nil victory against St
Columb’s College, the winning goal being scored by our over-lapping
goalkeeper, Jordan Coalter. We must congratulate Jordan for being
the only over-lapping goalie to get full marks in GCSE Art.
Not to be outdone, the Junior football team was eased to victory in
the inaugural Fermanagh and Tyrone League by the inscrutable
Frenchman.
Again, through M Bersot’s intercession, we were once again declared
an International school by the British Council, our third consecutive
accreditation recognizing the wide range of activities and exchanges
in which we participate.
Dr Wilson, Mrs Ewart and Mr Boyle give up their lunch-breaks to
facilitate a thriving Scripture Union;
Ms McCready harnesses the charity work of the students in the
Charity Committee: we can look forward to the return of our own
charity talent show in December, Portora’s Got Talent. Mr Clarke is
practicing his favourite Lady Ga Ga song. Ant McCallum and Dec
Bersot will no doubt compere.
Mr Hodgson takes Years 9 and 10 on skiing trips to Europe (and
brings them back again). This year, he was supported by Mrs
Walmsley. As the newly appointed Head of PE, Mr Hodgson has been
determined to lead a revival of Cricket in the county. The pluck of
leather on willow has returned to the back hill.
Ms Donnelly runs a school bank and retains her integrity;
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In Cross Country and Athletics, Mr Mason runs. And drags students
with him; Mr Boyle supervises
Mrs Donald keeps our links with Germany alive, leading exchange
groups every year; Ms Bersot leads the French exchange to Lyons
every December;
Ms Hall, at regular intervals, drags students into the marshes and
mountains in pursuit of their Duke of Edinburgh awards. This year she
has been joined by Mr Hutchings, a qualified hill walker as well as a
surf instructor;
Dr Hogg has taken ownership of the Young Scientist of the Year
project and supported Cliona Mulligan in her prize winning project in
January;
Ms McKeown has taken the Maths Olympiad over from Mr Bellinger
and offers additional support after school in Maths for Key Stage 3
students;
Mrs Ewart and Mr Mulholland prepare students for the Mock
competitions as Magistrates and Barristers and debaters and
quizzers;
Mr Holland’s commitment to excellence in rowing means that he
forgoes an unconscionable number of weekends and holidays. This
year Mr Holland achieved a target: the Junior Men’s 8 won the Irish
Championship for the first time in 34 years. But that was not the sole
achievement of the championships: the Men’s Junior 16 also won
and the women’s 16 finished second in their finals. The Portora Boat
Club came within inches of a unique quartet of championship wins,
never before achieved by any club, never mind school.
Mr Clarke led our senior rugby players in an Easter tour to Portugal in
April. The tour involved the team playing two matches against local
opposition. Mr Clarke has been such a positive and steadying
presence throughout the years in rugby in this school. He might say
that his biggest contribution to this school’s rugby is John, his son. It
has been a wonderful season for John. He was selected to play for
Ulster U18 Schools in the 2013 Inter-provincial Championship and
played for Ulster U18 schools against Cardiff Blues (where he scored
a try) in Cardiff and Sale Sharks in Manchester during the month of
August. He began training with the full Ulster U19 squad in the
summer but his progress was hampered by an injury.
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Ms Munroe continues to elicit the most amazing musical
performances from students who find new confidence from her
encouragement and support;
Mrs Rees welcomes the weekends as opportunities to prepare and
rehearse students without the annoyance of a school bell
summonsing them to other classes. In February, together with Ms
Munroe, Mrs O’Donohue and Mr Boyle she led actors, musicians and
artists to great success in the Fermanagh Feis. The school was
declared top post-primary in the Art Competition and our singers,
actors, bands and ensembles enjoyed disproportionate success in
their respective categories. Our Ensembles all won their respective
categories, with special praise to the six musicians who comprised
the contemporary ensemble, Black and Gold; they were declared
Best Ensemble of the Feis.
Last year, we were delighted to win the Senior Choir of the Year. This
year, we placed second to the excellent choir from the Collegiate
Grammar School. I was heartened when told that both choirs fully
appreciated each other’s contribution: If music be the food of love,
give me more of it
Mr Botha has abandoned his wife and child in Jordanstown while he
instils a fresh sense of purpose and direction into our rugby players
after school and on Saturdays. He is joined in that endeavour by
Messrs Hodgson, Hutchings, Wilson, Beddard and Clarke. Every day
of the week, rugby coaching is offered after school, so that we can
now look forward to fielding teams from Under 12 to 1st XV from
September to March.
As with the Boat Club, my colleagues enjoy the superb support of
Parent support Groups and parent coaches who help us ensure that
our extra-curricular programme is sustainable each year and every
year.
All these activities take teachers and parent coaches away from
families and eats into their social time but they are the mortar
holding diverse curricular experiences together and ensuring that
education at Portora Royal School is a human enterprise rather than
a technical one. And even when teachers do not have a particular
interest or obsession they can share as extra-curricular activities,
they are there, supporting and organising in the background. Ms
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Curran is the Duracell Bunny of Portora events, always there helping
and supporting when the rest of us need to recharge our batteries.
Amazingly, they also found the energy and focus to pursue
professional development:
Mr Beddard became the sixth member of staff to hold the
Professional Qualification for Headship, which he achieved last
spring;
Mrs Goodall was appointed as an Assistant Assessor with the
Education and training Inspectorate;
Mrs Rees holds the position of Principal Moderator for drama with
CCEA; Mrs O’Donohue continues in her role as Assistant Principal
Moderator in The Moving Image Arts.
Mr Gaston, was invited to address a conference on pastoral issues by
the Behaviour Management and Student Support Team of the WELB
and has featured on a DVD produced on behalf of the WELB around
pastoral issues.
Ms Colton, a Classroom Assistant with us for nine years, achieved a
BA through part-time study last year and Mrs Birnie is in the process
of completing her PGCE through the Open University.
Such professional development activities are supported by the Board
of Governors who recognize the benefit to the students of a properly
developed work-force.
Inevitably, some teachers feel that they need to move on. Last year
Mr Drennan felt the draw of the east and obtained a post in his old
school, Belfast High. He made a truly remarkable impact on the
school as a beginner teacher, leading several young athletes to
success at the Ulster Schools’ Championships, coaching the Medallion
XV and instigating a hugely popular Badminton Club on Friday
afternoons.
Today is the final formal school occasion for Mr Mulholland, also a
past student from Belfast High. He has also been sucked back to the
bright lights of the big city and after half-term will move to
Bloomfield Collegiate School. He is a fine young teacher who engaged
his students in the classroom, supported them pastorally and
encouraged them in debates and public speaking. He goes with our
best wishes, the respect of the students and the gratitude of the
Board and school management.
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Of course, these departures mean new faces: Mr Hutchings joined us
as a science teacher while Ms McMaster has replaced Mr Bellinger
who is on sabbatical leave. Mr Botha has joined us as PE teacher and
Director of Rugby and we are delighted that Ms Emma Mulligan will
join us after half-term to take on Mr Mulholland’s classes.
We have cause also to welcome Mrs Hambly and Ms Doogan who are
providing cover for Mrs Donal and Mrs O’Donohue both of whom are
on maternity leave. In fact, both Mrs Donald and Mrs O’Donohue
have had their babies. Mrs Donald gave birth to Tobias, Mrs
O’Donohue to Elin. It is a testimony to the good order and
organisation of this school that Mr Gaston was able to ensure that
both children were born on the same day, Saturday 11th
October, thus rendering the administration of maternity cover simple
and effective.
As I am mentioning the great rituals of family life, it would be remiss
of me not to publicly acknowledge the marriage in July of two of our
colleagues: Helen Gibson and David Ewart. Helen came to us as a
beginner teacher in 2007 and has proved to be an outstanding
professional. Dave’s career has taken a different trajectory. A law
graduate, he joined us as a rowing coach and has become a student
support officer with a sure touch in all that he does. We cannot
understand why he didn’t go straight to a PGCE and start teaching;
he’s a natural.
We are proud that they choose to be married in Fermanagh and to
hold their reception in the school. I speak for the whole Portora
community when I ask them to take our love and best wishes into
their future together.
Comings and goings, marriages and births are part of the rhythms of
life and it is comforting that they are experienced in schools. Indeed
the course of life is the very purpose of school: students come to us
as children at 11 and leave as young adults at 18; their progress is
marked by ceremonies which they will recognize only when they
leave.
I am delighted that our oldest students are here this afternoon, to be
part of this ceremony. In Leo McKinstry they will see a man who cut
out his own path in life and who took risks in the pursuit of those
things which mattered to him.
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As I stand down in favour of him, I do so convinced in the assertion
that Portora continues to flourish.
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