Cullybackey College’s annual Prize Day returned and we were delighted to welcome parents, carers and members of the community back again this year. Well done to all the prize winners, who we are immensely proud of, and we hope you enjoy the addresses delivered as well as photos from the day, all of which follow below.
Prize Day Addresses
College Principal- Mr D. Donaldson
On behalf of the staff and the Board of Governors of Cullybackey College I am delighted to welcome you once again to our annual Prize Distribution.
Our Guest of Honour, Mrs Petrina Roulston, will be a very familiar figure to all of you.
September 2004 saw a young, fresh-faced RE teacher by the name of Petrina McFarland walk through the doors of what was then Cullybackey High School to begin her career.
She made an instant impact on all who met her and, in time, would take on the positions of Head of RE, SEN Coordinator and Deputy Designate Teacher for Child Protection, each of which she excelled in.
She was committed to Scripture Union over the years, taking trips to a variety of places including Moldova and, most recently, Romania, as well as helping backstage with the shows.
Petrina gained a reputation as a real whirlwind – walking fast, talking fast, always on the go. And always easy to locate in school. I remember one morning in reception a pupil asked me if I’d seen Mrs Roulston. Before I had time to respond he said, ‘It’s ok, I think I hear her on the top floor!’
Petrina also has this similar trait to Marie in that whenever she burst through my office door with the request, ‘Would you mind . . .?’ What she really meant was, ‘This is what you’re going to do!’ And I soon realised that the path of least resistance was the best one to take.
For me it has been Petrina’s commitment to SEN children in particular which has stood out. I have no doubt that many young people have received real education-changing support because of Petrina’s determination to fight the system with all its shortcomings until that support is provided.
Whenever Petrina spoke with me last term to say she was wrestling with the idea of applying for a post at Dromore High School, reluctantly I knew it was the right move for her, replacing a long commute with a five-minute journey to work, particularly with a young family – and I am so pleased for her that it has all worked out.
Petrina had a huge impact on the College during her 20 years of dedicated service with us. Her happy, positive disposition, coupled with a relentless determination to get the best for the young people under your care in particular really stood out.
In order to ensure we got our money’s worth, returning to Cullybackey to be our Guest of Honour was built into the contract – if I’m honest, she probably didn’t give her new Principal much choice! And so, Petrina, on behalf of all of us, it’s lovely to have you back here this morning and we look forward to hearing from you shortly.
In terms of last year’s results, at GCSE level the proportion of students achieving 5 or more GCSE passes stands at an outstanding 89%.
At A-Level, a superb 92% of our outgoing Year 14 students achieved A*-E in 2 or more subjects. We were delighted that so many of our students achieved the entrance requirements for their preferred University courses across the UK, Dublin, and America and we wish them all the very best in this next stage of their lives.
I would also like to acknowledge the success of our students in accessing collaborative courses through Ballymena Learning Together – especially with the NRC, where they have been very well supported.
Personally, I would like to say a sincere thank-you to the teaching staff of the College who, in the day-to-day busyness of school life, dedicate themselves to making your children their priority. Often it is their determination not to give up on a child – their encouragement, their threats, their persistent hassling and chasing up of work that makes the difference.
In addition, I would like to acknowledge all our non-teaching staff who play such an important role in the ongoing life of the College, getting on with things so efficiently and effectively in the background. Also, thanks must go to our team of Classroom Assistants who provide much valued care and support for our students as well as being a great help to the teaching staff.
James Orr, our Head Boy, and Rhoda Laverty, our Head Girl, will now provide updates on Sport and Departmental activities respectively during the last academic year.
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Head Boy- James Orr
Sport plays a very important role within the College, with a large number of our student body taking advantage of the wide variety of activities on offer to them.
This year we were delighted to welcome onboard a number of local businesses: MB Motors; Wallace’s of Ballymena; Mortgage Wise; and Cranswick Country Foods to sponsor our football and rugby teams.
In football our Year 8s were narrowly knocked out of the Northern Ireland Cup by Rathmore, whilst performing admirably in their league and cup fixtures.
The highlight of the Year 9 season was a gripping cup run. After defeating rivals Dunclug College in the quarter finals, the boys played in front of a home crowd against Parkhall in the semi-final, just coming up short in a narrow defeat against the eventual winners of the competition.
Our Year 10s were defeated by St Conor’s in the Northern Ireland Plate before Christmas. This was quickly followed by an agonising defeat to St Patrick’s which sadly brought a premature end to their season.
Our Year 11 team has been the most successful squad this year. They were able to navigate their way to the final of the Cup thanks to two home cup ties. Memorable wins against Sperrin and Slemish earned them a day out against St Killian’s in the final, cheered on by a merry band of supporters. The result did not go our way but the performances and character of this team have been exceptional.
Our senior Year 12 team was drawn against a tough Ballyclare Secondary side which proved a stretch too far in the Northern Ireland Cup and this was followed by more agony in the Plate with a narrow home defeat to Coleraine College, in a game they really should have won.
Nonetheless, all footballers across the age ranges showed great commitment and endeavour and are raring to go in the new season ahead with Messers Cowan and Surgenor once again at the helm.
The pleasing development of rugby continued with the Under 12 squad competing in numerous tournaments throughout the year, including the Ulster Rugby ‘Let Them Play’ blitzes as well as the Ulster High Schools qualifiers.
Our Under 14 squad played in a sevens tournament at Carrickfergus Rugby Club followed by a number of battling league fixtures. The plate competition then saw them achieve a great victory over old foes Glengormley. This was followed by a long trip to Strangford College for the quarter final where the boys raced into an early lead at half time before eventually losing narrowly. The Under 14 squad finished off the season by taking part in the NEBSSA tournament at Carrickfergus.
Our Under 16 rugby squad entered the Ulster High Schools Pollock Cup for the first time in several years. Tough games against Ballyclare Secondary and Dunclug College saw us qualify for the Under 16 Bowl competition where we faced a challenging run of games against valiant opposition in Sperrin, St Euan’s and Holy Cross. These competitions provided a steep learning curve for our boys, and they continued their season with friendly games which acted as great preparation for the upcoming season.
Acknowledgement must also go to Year 11 swimmer Cody Lau who competed in over 14 galas in the 2023-24 season. In May he swam at the Irish Open and Olympic Time Trials, where he qualified for the National squad in the 400-metre free. In July he competed in the Irish Summer Nationals where he set a number of personal bests. Cody now has his eyes on achieving European times and we wish him all the best with this.
Girls’ PE offers a range of extra-curricular clubs throughout the year, most notably Hockey, Netball, Football and Athletics.
With girls’ football we are greatly indebted to the support of the staff from Coaching for Christ. The highlight for our junior teams was a very enjoyable indoor Futsal Tournament in Coleraine, whilst our senior girls entered the Electric Ireland Cup for the first time and, whilst the results didn’t go our way, the girls benefitted from the experience and displayed great teamwork both on and off the pitch.
This year our Hockey teams focussed on development and skill level, which they were able to put to good use in friendly matches against Slemish College and Dunclug College in preparation for entering the Ballymena League. Our Year 8 team played Dunclug in a tightly contested fixture. The girls worked very hard, demonstrating their skills on the pitch. They were very unlucky to lose 2-0. A special mention must go to Darcy Wilson who played goalkeeper for the first time and looked like a pro!
In Netball our Years 8-10 and Senior teams both competed in the Ballymena Schools’ Netball League. The Year 8 team had their first experience playing competitive netball and developed in confidence throughout the season. The Years 9 and 10 teams had mixed results throughout the year but showed great determination and commitment. Meanwhile, huge credit must go to our senior girls who have remained unbeaten over the past two seasons and finished this year on a high.
Special mention also goes to Katie Kilpatrick who had a successful season representing the College in the Ulster Schools’ Show Jumping League. The College team also competed at the schools’ show jumping event on St. Patrick’s Day at The Meadows where each team member displayed amazing ability and composure. Well done to all!
The College PE Department was delighted to be able to celebrate this year’s sporting success with a Sports Dinner and Awards Evening at Ballymena Rugby Club. Awards were presented to pupils for football, hockey, netball and rugby, recognising the dedication and commitment of all players who have participated and represented the College this year.
June rounded off our sporting year with our annual Sports Day. From memory it was a typical Cullybackey summer’s day – baltic and threatening rain – but, nonetheless, a combination of competitiveness and fun ensured everyone had a great day.
On behalf of the pupils I would like to thank all the staff who have given up their time to assist with after-school training, organise and attend matches and support and encourage us – it is greatly appreciated.
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Head Girl- Rhoda Laverty
As ever the school year kicked off with our Year 8 induction trip to We Are Vertigo, an opportunity for our newest pupils to make new friendships and have some fun.
Not to be left out, Year 13 pupils competed in the Office Olympics at Jungle NI as part of their induction, taking part in a range of team building exercises. Everyone got drenched, ate too much food, and had a brilliant time.
On Friday 12th January we held our annual IN-O-V8 event. This has become a highlight of the College calendar and we had the opportunity to host an incredible 790 Primary 7 pupils from 31 local primary schools for a programme of interactive workshops and shows relating to science and technology.
In addition, the Primary School Principals were invited to a special lunch provided by the College’s GCSE Hospitality pupils. We were delighted that so many principals took the time out of their schedules to attend and the quality of food and service provided by the HE Department was outstanding.
Our P6 ACTIV8 event followed in June, when over 700 P6 pupils from our feeder primary schools participated in a series of interactive workshops and shows relating to PE, Maths, Geography, ICT, History and English. The emphasis for the day was active learning and all pupils went home suitably happy and suitably tired.
Cullybackey College’s annual Carol Service took place on the 14th of December in the Cuningham Memorial Church under the direction of Mrs Marcus and Mrs Smyth. We are indebted to the Rev. Mulholland for his support of the College and contribution to the service.
During the year pupils had the opportunity to take part in a wide range of clubs and societies including Scripture Union, Art Club, Young Enterprise, Eco Club, Choir, Debating Society, Chess Club, and Drama Club to name but a few.
Agriculture students had a busy year attending a range of talks based around dairy, beef, sheep, pigs and poultry farming at the AFBI Schools’ Open Day.
In the creative world of the Art Department pupils experienced an excellent series of workshops by Mary O’Dornan, Helen Bradley and former pupil Sophia Sikorova.
In addition, Mrs Andrews was awarded an artist-teacher fellowship, a collaboration opportunity offered from The MAC in Belfast and funded by the Freeland’s Foundation London which will allow our pupils to work alongside 5 other schools to cultivate an exchange between teachers, artists and the MAC to demonstrate the value of art education in schools.
Business Studies had worthwhile visits to Kilwaughter Minerals Ltd as well as ‘The Jaq Group’ just outside Randalstown. The Business Studies Young Enterprise initiative saw pupils in years 8 -14 participate in various Young Enterprise programmes throughout the school year including Company Programme, Digital Masterclass, Step- Up, Blast Off, You’re Hired, Study Skills and many more.
In Drama recognition must go to the 15 Cullybackey College Drama Club actors and actresses who faithfully rehearsed for 3 months before performing a play written by our own talented, in-house playwright, Mrs Drennan, for a Year 8 audience in April.
The English Department’s Year 8 Sponsored Read raised a superb £403 for the Northern Ireland Cancer Fund for Children. World Book Day saw pupils participate in a range of activities and competitions, with the winners enjoying a healthy pizza lunch as a reward. In addition, pupils had the opportunity to listen to renowned storyteller Patrick Ryan as well as award-winning author Stuart Reid. In January Year 8s enjoyed a trip to the Grand Opera House Pantomime ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs’ and our Creative Writing Club had their work published in the upcoming book ‘The Glitch – Dreams in Ink.’
A major highlight of the year for the Geography Department was the annual visit of Jurassic Ark Encounters who brought a wild slice of prehistoric nature to life at Cullybackey College with pupils having the opportunity to learn how different animals interact in their ecosystems and to touch and hold animals including the Gecko, monitor lizard and a python.
Maths pupils participated in Maths Week Ireland from 14th – 22nd of October as well as Numeracy Day on the 22nd of May. Numeracy Mentoring saw Sixth Form and KS3 students working positively together and we are indebted to the input from our senior pupils. One of the highlights of the year is always the Numeracy Fun Day in June with Year 8 students involved in a variety of fun activities including, Beetle Drive, Bingo, Table Quiz, Maths Relay and much more!
As ever, the History Department had another very busy year. Year 14 students completed a guided walking tour of Home Rule Belfast, visiting Belfast City Hall and St Anne’s Cathedral as well as participating in a walking tour of sights relevant to the 1912-14 period.
Years 8 and 10 students were treated to workshops from the Navan Centre about the Norman Conquest and World War One. In June the Navan Centre also led our popular P6 ACTIV8 event, showcasing a weapons through the ages workshop to a very excited audience.
Year 10 students visited the Somme Centre in Newtownards, completing a workshop on weapons from World War 1 and they were also allowed to handle the different weapons. Students also completed workshops on what conditions for soldiers were like during the war.
The highlight of the year for our Cullybackey College Debating Society was being chosen to represent Northern Ireland in the UK European Youth Parliament in Liverpool later this year! This is a massive achievement for our students and is an illustration of their hard work and diligence. The organisers of the event commended the students for their well-researched arguments, their impeccable behaviour and their clear passion and enthusiasm throughout the event.
As part of GCSE Hospitality, pupils take on the role of a hotel employee and run a lunch event for 12 guests, inviting members of our own staff. Tickets are highly sought after… but Mr Surgenor always manages to get himself an invite each year.
The RE Department again had success in the Schools’ Bible Project National Writing Competition. Then, in April, our senior pupils and staff travelled to Romania with the Christian organisation Exodus. The team was mainly involved with community service including children’s clubs, a practical project and family visits.
This year our Year 11 Spanish students completed a virtual exchange programme with a high school in southern Spain. They enjoyed watching videos from their Spanish counterparts and then took the opportunity to create their own video tour of the school.
New this year to the Technology Department was the ‘First Lego League Challenge’ involving a selection of students designing and coding a robot into completing a variety of missions as well as producing their very own innovation project.
I would like to thank all the staff who have contributed to making this wide range of worthwhile events, activities, and experiences possible for our pupils.
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College Principal- Mr D. Donaldson
As a school we pride ourselves on our charity-giving, and last year was no exception. We supported the Christmas Hamper Appeal with 341 hampers delivered to the local area through donations from form classes as well as help from the sixth form in packing and distribution. The College staff also managed to regularly sacrifice their Friday lunch times to eat lots of sweet treats, all in aid of Turning Point NI with a tremendous £900 being raised. £887 was raised through a quiz and dessert night, coffee mornings, non-uniform days and collections at Ballymena United to support the pupils who went to Romania and NI Chest, Heart and Stroke benefited to the generous sum of £465 through the 6th form formal and raffle.
As ever, acknowledgement must go to our Parent Teacher Association, a much-valued part of our wider school community. The PTA had another very successful year hosting a range of events, notably the Tractor run headed by Mr and Mrs White, as well as the annual Craft Fair which proved to be a lot of fun with money raised supporting the Cystic Fibrosis Trust. In total, over £1,200 was raised during the academic year. We are also grateful to the PTA for buying a new stretch banner for the College to aid us in taking photographs for our social media platforms.
I would also like to express my gratitude to our Governors in overseeing all the work of the College. Chaired by Mrs Scott and ably assisted by her deputy, Mr Wiseman, who, between them have just under 70 years of service, Governors invest a great deal of time, effort, and energy in supporting the work of the College, something for which we are all indebted.
In relation to the protracted process of trying to secure a new school build, we received the breakthrough news in July that our Business Case approval was granted by the Department of Finance for a new-build school for Cullybackey College on a new site on the Dreen Road. It will include the demolition of the existing building on completion and upgrade of the nearby road services. This represents a major step forward as the capital has now effectively been released to secure the purchase of an appropriate site which is obviously very exciting and reflects the confidence DE has in the long-term future of the College.
In our recent Inspection, The Reporting Inspector made comment on, ‘The kind, polite, respectful pupils who have a strong sense of pride in, and belonging to, the school and their community which helps them address issues with hope and positive attitudes.’ For me this succinctly summed up what it’s all about. We are proud of our pupils, how they conduct themselves, their commitment to the College and their positive outlook.
It made me think of an incident during the Inspection week whenever a pupil approached me in the corridor, with an Inspector following a few metres behind. Politely the pupil asked, ‘Can I tell you something sir?’ ‘Of course,’ I replied, aware of the Inspector drawing near. ‘I’m trying to sell Mr White a goat!’ Not, ‘I’m really enjoying Art class,’ or, ‘I love being part of the rugby team,’ or, ‘I’m really happy in school,’ but, rather, ‘I’m trying to sell Mr White a goat!’ And with that he turned, addressed the Inspector with, ‘Are you rightly sir?’ before proceeding to walk down the corridor in his dealer boots without a care in the world. And that is Cullybackey College in a nutshell.
And that, I’m glad to say, and you’ll be glad to know, ends my report.