Head of Science at St Paul’s High School, Bessbrook, Mrs Bridget McConville, congratulates A Level Science students, Aron Hollywood and Rachel Boyle who are recipients of Nuffield Foundation Science Bursaries.

Two Year 14 students at St Paul’s High School, Bessbrook have been awarded prestigious Nuffield Foundation Science Bursaries.

Nuffield Foundation Science Bursaries offer up to 1000 bursaries a year, for students to work alongside practising scientists, technologists, engineers and mathematicians.

Projects take place during the summer holidays, giving students an insight into the world of scientific research and development.

Students in the first year of a post-16 science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) course are eligible to apply for a bursary of £80 per week to support them during their project. Placements are available across the UK, in universities, industry or research institutions. We welcome applications from students doing vocational courses as well as academic ones.

Aron Hollywood and Rachel Boyle, both A Level Science students at St Paul’s, undertook a placement with Norbrook Pharmaceuticals fin July 2012.   Each participated in a four week project which they presented at Queen’s University, Belfast last month. They received a bursary for the four week project and also a Crest Award on their presentation.

Both students were very fortunate to get an insight into how a science industry works in the local area, and were able to enhance their own personal, communication and organisational skills and this will make a positive impact on their applications to third level institutions this term.

Over 160 students have joined the Sixth Form at St Paul’s High School, Bessbrook. Pictured is the entire Year 13 group on their first day back at school,with their Year Head, Ms Christine Fearon.

Students returning to school as members of the Sixth Form at St Paul’s High School join the largest ever group of students studying Post-16 courses at the Bessbrook school.

The new Year 13 group has over 160 students, joining with their 120 counterparts in Year 14 to make the largest ever Post 16 intake.  The larger than expected intake is a result of outstanding GCSE results which were achieved in recent public examinations.

The new Sixth Form students have a wider than ever choice as St Paul’s boasts nearly thirty subjects in the Post 16 curriculum, including the full range of academic and vocational options, including BTEC Construction, BTEC Sport and Performance, Drama & Theatre Studies, Music and CACHE (Certificate Course in Children’s Care and Education)

Students in Sixth Form at St Paul’s will be offered a specially designed pastoral programme to complement their academic studies, including a peer mentoring programme, a ten-week drugs and alcohol awareness programme, Young Enterprise training and experience and a Success Skills Programme for young women.  This will augment the well established St Vincent de Paul Society and the St Paul’s International Aid Projects to Romania and Kenya which Year 13 students will be involved in during the coming school year.

Head of Year 13, Ms Christine Fearon welcomed all of the new students and wished them well in their studies.  Speaking to students on their first day back to school, Ms Fearon congratulated students on the excellent GCSE grades achieved and pointed to the immense potential within each student, adding that she hoped that this would be maximised over the coming years at St Paul’s.

Principal, Mr Oliver Mooney, in welcoming the new Sixth Form to St Paul’s, said that he looked forward to working with the new intake and hoped that the students obtained the full benefit of the St Paul’s experience, including the wide breath of diverse extra-curricular activities currently on offer, including Sport, Dance, Art & Design and Drama.

Principal, Oliver Mooney and Head of Year 12, Mary McMahon congratulate pupils at St Paul’s High School, who received their GCSE results.

Ryan Cinnamond with his friends are congratulated on their results by Principal, Mr Oliver Mooney.

Pupils from St Paul’s High School are celebrating GCSE success after the exam results were announced recently.

The figures for the Bessbrook school, for pupils gaining five or more A* to C grades including English and mathematics, is 85 per cent, up from 34 per cent in 2002.

Principal of St Paul’s High School, Mr Oliver Mooney said: “These are a marvellous set of results for our students and reflect their hard work and that of the staff. I congratulate them all and look forward to seeing them go on to further success at post-16 level.”

“We are extremely pleased to have achievedsuch outstanding results results, as this can only mean that more students than ever from the school can go on to advance their studies on courses of their choice.”

Mr Mooney added, “This outstanding set of results is all the more special, considering the changes at GCSE, and the introduction of controlled assessment, which is much more rigorous than the old style coursework.”

“Our students have once again outperformed the previous cohort and deserve praise and congratulations for their hard work and efforts.”

One Year 12 student who had experienced more than most when completing his GCSE year was Ryan Cinnamond, who overcome severe medical problems to complete his exams with his year group and graduate with a full set of GCSEs at Grades A*-C.

Ryan Cinnamond, and his parents paid tribute to the staff of St Paul’s High School for their support and commitment to Ryan over the last number of months.  Ryan said, “I would not have passed without the help of St Paul’s.  If I had not had the one-to-one support from my teachers, I would have failed.”

January 14 2011

We are aware that some Year 13 and Year 14 students have taken unofficial ‘study leave’ in preparation for January AS or A2 modules.

Students who have an examination during a school day will be marked present using an appropriate code, which will not affect EMA.