Prestigious accolade for Ballyclare High School

This is the fifth time Ballyclare High School have received this accolade.

The Secondary Geography Quality Mark is a prestigious award which recognises and promotes quality and progress in geography leadership, curriculum development and teaching and learning in schools.

The Rashee Road school was one of 24 secondary schools across the UK to receive this award and the only school from Northern Ireland.

All award winners undergo a rigorous moderation process, and the team of assessors were impressed by the opportunities presented to Geography students in Ballyclare High School.

The award focuses on four main strands which includes the quality of Geography education, how it shapes pupil’s behaviour, attitudes and values; how it supports personal development as well as leadership and management.

Emma Lawrence from the National Moderation Team stated: “It is clear that the department takes an innovative approach, delivering lessons which are engaging, challenging and highlight the value of geography as a subject.

“The curriculum has been well planned to consider the full learning journey that students will experience through their time at Ballyclare.

“We are particularly pleased to see that thoughtful consideration has been given to the acquisition of skills as well as content. We are delighted to confirm the award of Secondary Geography Quality Mark.”

The Department provides opportunities for fieldwork at every key stage and A level pupils returned from a foreign fieldtrip to Mount Vesuvius and Pompeii in Italy last October.

Pupils are also provided with extra-curricular opportunities through Ground Force and Fair Trade clubs, while strong relationships are maintained with outside professional bodies and local universities.

Sharon Wells, Head of Geography said: “I am very happy to receive this award on behalf of the Geography Department at Ballyclare High School.

“In particular, this achievement provides recognition for the high quality teaching, hard work and dedication of staff, and the positive working relationships enjoyed by both teachers and pupils. This is a tremendous accolade for our Department and for our school.”

--

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

In order for us to continue to provide high quality and trusted local news on this free-to-read site, I am asking you to also please purchase a copy of our newspaper whenever you are able to do so.

Our journalists are highly trained and our content is independently regulated by IPSO to some of the most rigorous standards in the world. But being your eyes and ears comes at a price. So we need your support more than ever to buy our newspapers during this crisis.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our local valued advertisers - and consequently the advertising that we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you helping us to provide you with news and information by buying a copy of our newspaper when you can safely.

You can also enjoy unlimited access to the best news from across Northern Ireland and the UK by subscribing to newsletter.co.uk

With a digital subscription, you can read more than five articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Visit https://www.newsletter.co.uk/subscriptions now to sign up.

Thank you.