Abbey Christian Brothers' Grammar School
54°10′19″N 6°19′55″W / 54.172°N 6.332°W
| The Abbey Christian Brothers' Grammar School Scoil na Mainstreach | |
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| Address | |
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77a Ashgrove Road Northern Ireland Newry , County Down , Ulster , BT34 1QN United Kingdom | |
| Information | |
| School type | Boys Grammar |
| Motto | Congregatio - Fractrum - Christianorum |
| Religious affiliation(s) | Roman Catholic |
| Patron saint(s) | Edmund Ignatius Rice |
| Opened | Current Site - 2010 |
| Status | Christian Brothers' Grammar School |
| Closed | July - August |
| School board | SELB |
| School number | 71741 |
| Principal | Dermot McGovern B.Ed. M.Ed |
| Grades | A*- E |
| Gender | Male |
| Age range | 11-18 |
| Enrollment | 875 |
| Average class size | 20 |
| Language | English/Irish |
| Classrooms | 52 |
| Houses | Iveagh, Donard, Breffni, Oriel, Slemish |
| Colour(s) | Red, Black and Amber |
| Sports | Gaelic, Basketball, Rugby |
| National ranking | 8th in Northern Ireland |
| Newspaper | The Abbey Way |
| School fees | Voluntary |
| Website | http://www.abbeycbs.org/ |
The Abbey Christian Brothers’ Grammar School is a voluntary day school for boys aged 11 – 18 years in Newry, County Down, Northern Ireland. While the school building completed its opening in January 2010 in a building project costing £18 million. In its history, the school had been located at several sites around Newry, including Chapel Street, Kilmorey Street, the Carstands at Margaret Street and the Mall, then on to Abbey Yard and Courtenay Hill.[1]
School Year
The school year commences with individual year admissions and registrations during the last week in August. Details of first term, second term, mid-term, Christmas and Easter holidays are forwarded to all parents in an Annual Parents' Booklet.
School Uniform
All pupils are required to wear a full school uniform, junior, middle and senior schools having slight variations to recognise increasing maturity.
Curriculum
The curriculum in the Abbey is based on the UK National Curriculum. The school academia is divided into three sections.
Key Stage 3 is followed in junior school where pupils are unstreamed and follow a curriculum which includes Religious Education, English, Mathematics, Science, History, Geography, French, Spanish, Irish, Art, Music, Information Technology, Technology & Design, Physical Education, Drama, Learning for Life and Work. Pupils are expected to take a variety of these subjects, though not all.
During Key Stage 23, pupils follow the prescribed Northern Ireland Common Curriculum. All Year 12 pupils sit GCSE examinations while some Year 11 pupils complete GCSE courses in a single year. The range of subjects on offer at this level enables all students to keep their career options open until they embark upon advanced level courses. Choices include all subjects at Key Stage 3 with the attraction of Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Physical Education, English Literature, Construction, Financial Services, Business Studies, Information Systems and Additional Mathematics.
At A-Level all the boys who have performed well in the GCSE examination, or those who have received a minimum of 7 passes with at least 3 at grade B level, are invited to do GCE (previously known as A-Level) in the three or four subjects of their choice. As at GCSE, there is an extensive range of subjects offered, including all those at Key Stages 3 and 4 with the addition of Politics, Further Mathematics, Theatre Studies, Construction, Applied ICT, Psychology and Sociology. Students sit Oxford and Cambridge (Oxbridge) entrance examinations annually. The examination boards used by the school at the moment include A.Q.A., C.C.E.A., Edexcel and O.C.R.
All senior students take part in an extensive personal development programme called Social Spirituality. This programme includes modules in [[Health and Fitness]], Human Rights, Interview Skills, Information Technology Application, Cookery and Financial Management and Spiritual Reflection. Students also participate in lower 6th in a programme of extension courses (VEP) with Newry Institute.
CCTV Controversy
On 4 May 2004 it was discovered that the senior management of the school had placed CCTV cameras in a P.E. locker room where boys as young as eleven were in a state of undress. They initially denied this but later admitted it when the tapes were brought to light and claimed the camera had been installed to catch a thief. The school authorities subsequently destroyed the video tape. [2], [3]
Alumni
- Séamus Mallon, Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) politician and former Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland
- Frank Aiken TD, Irish Republican Army commander, Tánaiste and served as Minister for Defence (1932–1939), Minister for the Co-ordination of Defensive Measures (1939–1945), Minister for Finance (1945–1948) and Minister for External Affairs (1951–1954 & 1957–1969)
- Denis Donoghue, Irish writer
- Ronan Rafferty, golfer
- Joe Kernan, Gaelic football manager
- Sean O'Neill, Gaelic footballer
- Art Cosgrove, Irish historian, writer and UCD Chancellor