Belfast High School
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| Belfast High School | |
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| Address | |
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740 Shore Road, Jordanstown , , BT37 0PX Northern Ireland | |
| Coordinates | 54°41′12″N 5°52′36″W / 54.68678302189467°N 5.876565727605159°W |
| Information | |
| Other name | BHS |
| Type | Voluntary grammar school |
| Established | 1854 |
| Founder | John Pyper |
| Local authority | Education Authority |
| Principal | Charlotte Weir[1] |
| Gender | Co-educational |
| Houses |
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| Colour(s) | Blue and Yellow |
| Website | www |
Belfast High School (BHS) is a co-educational voluntary grammar school in Jordanstown, Newtownabbey, County Antrim, Northern Ireland.[2] It was established in 1854 and is within the North Eastern Region of the Education Authority.
In May 2007, it was awarded Specialist Status in Languages[3] and in March 2012, it has been recognised as one of only six post-primary schools in Northern Ireland to be in the top 10% for performance at both GCSE and A-level.[4]
History[edit]
The institution now known as Belfast High School opened in 1854. In 1874, it moved to new premises at Glenravel Street, Belfast. Since the school was founded, there have been 7 head teachers:
- (1854–1867) John Pyper, who established the school as Pyper Academy, before changing its name to the Belfast Mercantile Academy shortly thereafter.
- (1867–1917) James Pyper, the school's longest-serving headmaster. He was responsible for the building of what the Ulster Star described as "Mr Pyper's splendid new seminary"[5] in Glenravel Street.
- (1917–1937) Spring Pyper
- (1938–1966) Dr Robert Harte, who changed the school's name to its current title. Under his headship the school purchased Ardilea House, a large 19th-century villa in Jordanstown, in 1953. Between then and 1963, when the entire school re-located from Glenravel Street, its then Vice-Principal, Harry Towell, headed a small suburban campus at the site. The house now forms the administration block, containing the staff room, sick bay, and offices of the principal, her secretary, the bursar and vice-principal. Dr Harte suffered a severe stroke in 1964 and his son acted as temporary head until the appointment of Mr Dunlop in 1966. Dr Harte was a Doctor of Philosophy and an eminent classical scholar.
- (1966–1987) Samuel H Dunlop, who saw the building of a new science block (1970), the closure of Somerton House (the school's preparatory department) in 1981 and the enlargement of the school library (1980s)
- (1987–2006) Stephen R Hilditch, who saw the Harte Building opened in the 1990s to house Home Economics, Careers, Technology, ICT and a science lab, the refurbishment of the science block (2001–2003) and the refurbishment and enlargement of the Music Department
- (2006–2018) Lynn F Gormley, who saw the installation of a state-of-the-art sports and fitness building which was opened by Dame Mary Peters in 2016.
- (2018–present) Charlotte Weir, who had previously served as Acting Head Teacher and Deputy Head Teacher.
Houses[edit]
The school has a house system. The tie a pupil wears is blue with a thick yellow band pattern, and a thinner band pattern of an additional colour representing the pupil's house.
The houses and their colours are as follows:
- Boyd (green)
- Pyper (blue)
- Storey (red)
- Watson (yellow)
Sports[edit]
The four main sports at Belfast High are rugby, hockey, netball and cricket.[6]
Aside from the four main sports, Belfast High students take part in association football, gymnastics, swimming, volleyball, basketball, badminton, athletics, tennis, softball, and power walking.[7]
Two sixth-form students represent the school as Sports Ambassadors to encourage participation in sports among students.[8]
Notable alumni[edit]
- Steve Aiken, Member of the Northern Irish Assembly
- George Cassidy, former Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham
- Tommy Cassidy, Northern Ireland international footballer, who played for Newcastle United and Burnley
- Edward Samuel Wesley de Cobain, MP, disgraced Conservative politician
- Fred Henderson, Socialist writer
- George MacDowell Kane, Artist and sculptor
- Alex Crawford, international footballer: Distillery and Cliftonville right-half and Captain of Ireland in 1880s and 1890s
- Jonny Evans, Manchester United and Northern Ireland international football player
- Sir Ronnie Flanagan, retired Chief Inspector of Constabulary, Northern Ireland
- Alan McNeill, professional football player
- Stephen Rea, film actor
- Mark McCrea, Ulster rugby player
- Maurice Field, former Ulster and Ireland rugby player
- Paul Stirling, Ireland cricketer
- Sinéad Morrissey, poet
- Harold Miller Church of Ireland Bishop of Down.
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ "Welcome". Belfast High School. Retrieved 24 April 2019.
- ^ "Belfast High School Home". Belfast High School website. Retrieved 18 November 2010.
- ^ Specialist School Status Archived September 5, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, Belfast High School website. Retrieved 30 June 2012
- ^ Fergus, Lindsay. "Northern Ireland schools league tables - A-Levels". Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 1 July 2012.
- ^ The Witness, 4 September 1874 http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~econnolly/twextracts/tw18740900.html
- ^ "Belfast High School Rugby". Belfast High School website. Archived from the original on 17 February 2012. Retrieved 18 November 2010.
- ^ "Physical Education". Belfast High School. Retrieved 17 November 2023.
- ^ "Highlights Issue 60 Sep 2021". Belfast High School. Retrieved 17 November 2023.
External links[edit]
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