After eight years of planning and work, the whole school community is delighted that finally our dream of a new school building will be a reality. However, there is still a significant amount of work to be undertaken in the next few years.

Lagan College’s Chairman of the Board of Governors, Dr Ian Mc Morris, has finally been able to sign off the ‘preferred bidder’ letter. The South Eastern Education partnership was formally appointed as preferred bidder on 27th April 2010. A planning application has been lodged with Castlereagh Borough Council and it is hoped that pre-work may begin in the Summer of 2010 pending the Department of Education’s early release of the financial support.

We intend to show off the model and the plan of the new school at a College event in the Summer term. We will be inviting all those who have a vested interest in Lagan College to come and celebrate together with us.

Our sincere thanks go to all the people who have made this next step in the planning for our new school a reality!

Lagan College/Tor Bank PPP Project formally appointed South Eastern Education Partnership as their Preferred Bidder

Lagan College has decided that it will continue admitting 35% of its intake by some form of selective process, if as seems likely, many schools in its catchment area continue to select their pupils. This is against the background of the ending of the transfer test and the proposed establishment of a replacement by the Association for Quality Education to be used to determine entry by many of the Province’s grammar schools from September 2010.

At the moment Lagan is unsure of which test it will use but over the next few months it will investigate choices and will give its decision to primary schools and prospective parents before the summer break.

The Chairman of Lagan College governors, Mr Ian McMorris, speaking at the school’s senior prize-giving, said, “In no way should this decision be seen as this College supporting the retention of selection.  We believe selection at 11 to be flawed.  Every year we show that the transfer test is a poor predictor of outcome. 

“Lagan College had the best ever A level results last year and GCSEs were also very good. Over half of those successfully completing A levels last year and getting qualifications adequate for admission to university did not have an A or B in the transfer procedure. One pupil who arrived with a D in the transfer test achieved and an A and 2 Bs, and two further students who both arrived with C2s achieved between them 5 A grades and a B at A level.”

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For further information:-

Lagan College 028 9040 1810

www.lagancollege.com

Background: Founded in 1981 with 28 students, Lagan College was Northern Ireland’s first planned integrated school. Today, there are 1,200 students and the College is the flagship of integrated education. The central aim of Governors, Principal and staff is to educate together to the highest standards Catholics, Protestants and those of other religious beliefs or none.

To mark the launch of their new album “A Hundred Million Suns”, Snow Patrol recently staged four concerts in two days, playing in Belfast, Dublin, Edinburgh and London.

They invited four schools, one from each city, to contribute artwork, themed on the album title, which was then exhibited at the concerts.  Lagan College students were delighted to participate in this venture.  Their artwork was on display at the Belfast gig, where the band took to the stage in the Empire Music Hall.

Head of Art & Design at the College, Paul Burch, said “the students were understandably very excited and enthusiastic about working on this project and subsequently produced some fabulous pieces of work”.

The art work can currently be viewed on Snow Patrol’s website.

Lagan College students with their art work for launch of Snow Patrol

Fifteen pupils at a Belfast secondary school are currently taking part in a personal safety programme which includes risk assessment and self defence skills, as part of their Sixth Form Enrichment Programme.

The programme is run by ‘Defence Sense’ who also train staff in statutory bodies and corporate organisations throughout the UK.  Director Jim McCausland said “We have done private training with about 20 young people in the last 18 months and some came to us after being assaulted on a Saturday afternoon when they were out shopping”.

“We know of young people who have been robbed, their mobile phones taken off them and others who have just had a random punch in the face.  Others have been victims of violent bullying.  We should be teaching our children how to cope with being assaulted”.

Helen McHugh, Principal of Lagan College, said that the programme is one of a range of activities offered to Post 16 students.  “The aim of these is to help prepare our young people for life after Lagan” she said.  “The Personal Safety Programme was introduced this year in response to demand from students and has proved particularly popular with girls” she added.

Stephen Van Den Bos, one of the Year 13 pupils taking the course, said “If anyone threatens you, you will know what to do now.  It makes us feel much safer”.

Defence Sense Director, Jim McCausland with Lagan College students

Pupils at a South Belfast school have taken part in a programme designed to explore other cultures.  Young people at Lagan College visited China during the summer as part of the World Challenge expedition.  The programme is designed to allow pupils a ‘life-changing’ experience as well as developing skills such as leadership qualities and teamwork.

The team’s main project consisted of working at an orphanage near the southern city of Xian.  Pupil Orlagh Thompson said they engaged in a range of activities. “We helped paint dormitories, taught basic English, played games and used money raised back home to purchase supplies, anything from bed sheets to food”.

Orlagh said the team spent a lot of their time there moving, due to the vast size of the country.  “One train journey lasted 27 hours, so it was amazing to see how big a place it is”.  Orlagh added that her lasting impression would be the scenery.  “My memories are the stunning views from the top of the Great Wall and the cool water of the River Li. “China is the most visually breathtaking environment I have ever seen.  We crammed so much in I can’t believe we were there for only a month”.

Lagan College pupils with school children in China

Lagan College teacher John Paul Patton, who was also involved in the Challenge, said ‘Through their dedication and hard work, the pupils embraced a range of opportunities to engage with the local community and they intend on fostering further links with orphanages there”.

The Cross Border Orchestra of Ireland and The Children’s Choir of Northern Ireland presented the “Partners in Peace Concert” in the Waterfront Hall on Saturday night.  The evening was a huge success, with choirs participating from many schools right across the province, including Lagan College below.

The CBOI was set up in 1995 after the main cease fire as a peace initiative. The idea was to unite young people from different backgrounds and traditions through music -music being the one true universal, international language which crosses all barriers, boundaries and borders.

As the years went on and the standard of the orchestra continued to improve it became clear that many more young people could be included in this project while all the time spreading the message of hope and harmony. 

Sharon Treacy-Dunne (Director CBOI) said “Young people are the only ones who can make a lasting difference and so it is very important to give them every opportunity to make this possible”

“So, the Waterfront performance was intended to be an invaluable musical, cultural, educational, and social experience for all the children. It is hoped that they will always remember the fun that they had, and perhaps realise that there is so much to be gained by working together in harmony”.

The Head of Music at Lagan College, Mrs Oonagh Donnelly said “it is always a joy to see our students enjoy their music making and this is the most important purpose of our school choirs.  The ‘Partners in Peace’ concert gave them a marvellous opportunity to sing and be accompanied by, with so many people from all over Ireland”.

Choir

The pioneering Theatre Company, Charabanc, celebrated their 25th Anniversary at Queen’s Drama Studio on Tuesday 23rd September 2008; with the book launch of their legendary play, “Lay Up Your Ends”.

This edition of the script centres around the lives of five female Linen Mill workers who were at the heart of the strike in 1911.

These five talented A Level Drama students from Lagan College, with its own pioneering history, have vigorously related to the social justice issues explored in this landmark play. They are very excited about performing their generation’s interpretation of this wonderful play later this year.

Lagan College A Level students Chloe Allison, Chloe Armstrong, Rachel Brown, Ali Taylor, Jazzmin McClure pictured at the book launch of “Lay Up Your Ends”.