St. Mary's Grammar School, Magherafelt

Specialist Schools

On 31st May 2007, St Mary's Grammar School, Magherafelt was designated a Specialist School for Science. In its application, St Mary's reaffirmed its commitment to excellence and was commended by the selection panel for its determination

"to engage meaningfully with other education partners and the wider community to enrich the learning experience and life opportunities of young people and for the benefit of their local community."

St. Mary's will use Specialist status to develop the physical resources of the school, to upgrade its computer technology and Specialist Science equipment. This will provide the highest quality teaching and learning environment in which to take forward our plans. Within our Specialist School designated subject, our teachers are leaders and mentors; they are perceived and used as points of reference for other schools. Therefore, Specialist School status will formally confirm the high profile of Science (including Physical Education) in the school and the community. 97 % of our pupils in the last three years have moved into third-level education: Specialist School status will allow the Science Department (including Physical Education) to continue to inspire our pupils and those of our partner schools to use their Science and Physical Education knowledge and skills in the future societies which they will create.

St. Mary's vision for the future is to create an environment of personalised teaching and learning in order to enhance progress, achievement and participation. Specialist status, under the banner of Science (including Physical Education) will help us to maintain our already excellent academic standards and sustain whole school improvement through the development of Personalised Learning, featuring:

(a) Quality Teaching and Learning with a focus on the open-ended tasks and thematic links required by the Revised Curriculum; Assessment for Learning; implementing elements of accelerated learning; mentoring; rigorous target setting; pupil tracking and e-learning strategies.

(b) Self-Evaluation, with a focus on regular, accessible information about pupils' progress and potential barriers to learning and quality professional development, including an effective PRSD programme to ensure the highest standards of teaching and learning.

(c) Quality Pupil tracking using all available data (for example formative, summative and social factors) to track pupils' progress individually and plan progression. Each pupil will have a designated Learning Guide with a clear focus on raising achievement. A robust pupil mentoring system will be established within all subject Departments, supported by the Pastoral system, to improve motivation and achievement.

(d) ICT. We will offer increasing opportunities for e-learning to maintain and further improve attainment, particularly that of boys, and allow us to link successfully with our partner schools and businesses. The enhanced use of ICT will allow us to establish the Science Department (including Physical Education) as a satellite department whose influence through the school leads change and improves achievement and whose outreach extends to our five partner schools, our partner businesses in the community, the partner universities and beyond.

Revised Curriculum

The planned focus on Personalised Learning is well suited to the principles of the Revised Curriculum, in particular its emphasis on:

• open-ended tasks with a thematic approach which allow pupils to work individually, independently and collaboratively
• Assessment for Learning and the introduction of Learning Guides, supported by Form Teachers/Tutors
• implementation of aspects of accelerated learning
• rigorous target-setting
• continuing Professional Development
• increased use of ICT
• self-evaluation; planned work with our partner schools and in the context of Learning for Life and Work, links with businesses

Specialist Status will benefit our pupils by:

• raising attainment for all pupils in Science and across the whole curriculum
• offering continuing, planned, structured professional development for all staff to ensure the maintenance and improvement of standards in all areas of school life
• providing additional resources, example, in ICT
• creating a context of e-learning which will extend from our pupils and staff to parents, our partner schools and business partners

Specialist Status will benefit our partner schools by:

• enabling St. Mary's to share its resources and professional expertise
• focusing on planned, specific projects which will ensure curriculum continuity and learning progression
• providing increased opportunities for the professional development of staff
• creating a culture of e-learning to the mutual benefits of St. Mary's and its partner schools

Specialist Status will benefit our partner schools by:

• giving them a clear picture of school life with all its curricular and extra-curricular demands
• enabling them to be directly involved in developing the skills and qualities of future contributors to employment and society
• profiling their company/business within the school with a view to creating employment awareness among young people
• defining particular employment opportunities for Science/Engineering graduates