Headmaster’s Report 2024/25

Mr Chairman, Dr Doyle, members of the Board of Governors, Mrs Lockhart MP, The Lord Mayor Alderman Moutray, our former Principal Mr Pollock, partner Primary School Principals, colleagues, parents, ladies and gentlemen and, most importantly, our prize winners, welcome to Prize Day – it is a privilege to present my eleventh Annual Report in Banbridge Academy.

I think we can all agree it is great to be able to gather as a school community in this beautiful building.  A special thanks to the Select Vestry and the Rector of Holy Trinity, the Rev Nixon for the warmth of their welcome.

Mr Mathers will outline later the illustrious career of our Guest of Honour.  Suffice to say that Philip is a double-Olympiad and a medallist at Paris 24.  It is great to see our former students excelling in many walks of life.  I ask everyone to give an appropriate Academy welcome back to our Guest of Honour, former student Dr Philip Doyle.

Anyone who knows the Academy well understands the vital role the support staff play in maintaining our special ethos.  I thank the office, the technical and support staff for running the school on a daily basis.  I record a special word of thanks to my new PA, one of our parents, Mrs Joanne Stewart, for her personal dedication and support.

We continue to remain true to the Academy’s central aim – for everyone to be happy at school, known personally and cared for individually.  During the construction of our new 3-year Development Plan we consulted extensively to develop our collective vision for the school – Belong | Aspire | Achieve.  Our special ethos is due to the quality of relationships across our community, and I thank The Academy Association and their Chair, Mrs Audrey Wilson-Reid, for their unstinting support and dedication to the school.

Today I will only be able to provide a brief outline of the academic year.  However, I record my thanks to Mrs Gough, in her final year as the School Magazine co-ordinator, and to her team for compiling another wonderful record of the school year in our School Magazine.  I also encourage you to visit the school website and follow us on X or Instagram, to keep up to date with the success of our students.  Last year, thanks to the work of Miss McCullough, we also developed our first-ever school video.

At the end of the year, we said farewell to Mr Smyth who joined Down High School.  We welcomed several permanent appointments at the start of term – Mrs Dalzell (Geography), Mrs McDonald (Art & Design), Mr Thompson (Mathematics), Dr Henry (Head of Biology) and Mr McAdam (Physics).  We welcome them to the Academy and trust they enjoy working in our happy community.

As my colleagues and the community have heard me say repeatedly, high-quality outcomes are secured when leadership is distributed effectively across the school.  There were several internal promotions:  Mr Walker (Head of Mathematics), Mr McClintock (Year Head), Mr Reaney (Temporary Year Head), Mr Thompson (Temporary Year Head), Mr Magee (Teacher in Charge of Boys’ Hockey), Miss Greenlee (Teacher in Charge of the School Magazine) and Miss Wright (Financial Administrator).  We were delighted when Mrs Sally Johnston, who recently retired as my PA, was awarded the British Empire Medal (BEM) in the King’s New Year Honours list. This much-deserved honour recognises Sally’s 27 years of dedicated service, during which time she was the heartbeat of the Academy.

2025 will be remembered as a year when our students achieved spectacular outcomes in the public examinations.  At A Level almost 90% of all pupils achieved 3 A* – C grades. Out of the 178 pupils who entered these examinations, 105 achieved a minimum of 3 A* – B grades or better.  51 pupils obtained 3 A grades or better, with 18 pupils obtaining at least 3 A* grades – quite incredible outcomes.

AS Level results were impressive, 83.9% of all entries were A – C grades.  These results provide an excellent foundation on which to build for A Level success in 2026.

At GCSE the students attained terrific results, 99% of the students achieved at least 7 A*- C grades, including English and Mathematics – truly amazing results.  72% of all entries resulted in top grades A*/A and when B grades are included, this figure rises to approximately 90% of all entries.

The pupils, parents and teachers of the Academy are to be thoroughly congratulated.  These outstanding results in the public examinations ensure that our young people can continue with their chosen career pathways.  We wish the Class of 2025 every success in the next stage of their educational journey.

The education of our young people involves a partnership, and I pay tribute to my colleagues in our primary schools who have created the foundation for the success our students enjoy.  I also pay tribute to the dedication and commitment of the teaching and non-teaching staff of the Academy; their professional approach has undoubtedly underpinned this success.  Likewise, the ongoing support provided by our parents and the wider community is to be praised.  I ask the pupils to show a token of appreciation to their parents and my colleagues.

The Academy continues to be at the forefront of Education in Northern Ireland.  Many guests visited the school, including the Chief Executive Officer of the Education Authority (Mr Richard Pengelly), the Permanent Secretary of the Department of Education (Mr Ronnie Armour) and as part of the Learn with the Lords programme, Baroness O’Loan, who talked to the students about the work of the House of Lords and the appointment of our former student to the House of Lords – Baroness, Lady Cash, whom we believe is the first peer from Banbridge Academy.  Under the leadership of Miss McClelland, the Bar Mock Trial Team once again excelled and qualified to represent Northern Ireland at the National Final at the Old Bailey in London.  The year was rounded off with a wonderful visit for Sixth Form politics students to the House of Commons.

Continuing in the world of leadership, Reece Green after a successful campaign was elected to represent Upper Bann in the UK Youth Parliament.  Ellie Crimmins and Hannah Kerr represented the role of China at the British Council’s COP29 Schools’ Simulation Event at Belfast City Hall.  A group of A Level Politics students & members of the SistersIN Programme attended a symposium on the central role of women in the Northern Ireland Peace process.  The students met with a number of the panellists including Hilary Clinton, former First Lady and Chancellor of QUB.

The school has still to be informed of the top places in the public examinations, however, we were delighted to be informed this week that Lucy Farrell achieved the highest mark in Northern Ireland in GCSE Home Economics: Food and Nutrition winning the British Nutrition Foundation Drummond Education Award.

Lucy Hodgen was awarded the prestigious Arkwright Engineering Scholarship, the most esteemed scholarship of its kind in the UK.  Lucy’s award is externally funded by the Royal Air Force, and as part of this, she now benefits from mentorship by an RAF engineer.  Lucy also won the Sentinus Young Innovators Intermediate Competition, a significant accomplishment given the exceptionally high standard of the entries.

Debating continues to flourish in the school and Sienna Scullion won the Ulster Women’s Unionist Council – Edgar Graham LLB BL Memorial Public Speaking Competition, held in the Senate Chamber at Stormont.  May I suggest, Sienna demonstrated to our MLAs the debating skill and composure that is needed within the House.

Students across the school continued to learn languages and participated in the French exchange trip. Roisin Cumming, won the esteemed Anthea Bell Prize for Young Translators, run by the Queen’s College Translation Exchange at the University of Oxford.  Roisin’s winning entry stood out among nearly 5,000 submissions, impressing judges with her linguistic flair and creative interpretation.

Our mathematicians continue to excel, achieving six Gold Certificates in the UK Intermediate Maths Challenge and our team secured a superb 2^nd place in the Queen’s University Maths Competition.

Our students excelled in digital skills, from Year 9 pupils coding arcade games at the Ulster Museum’s ‘STEAM Studio’ to our ‘VisionAI’ team reaching the final of the PwC App Design Competition.

Our aspiring psychologists gained valuable insights, attending the Clinical Psychology event at Queen’s, and we were delighted that Beth Sinton was selected for the Sentinus Summer School, where she analysed real-world data from Ulster University’s Millennium Cohort study.

On a day when we celebrate the achievements of our current students, it is also right that we pause to remember those who came before us.  I extend a special thanks to Mr Acheson and a team of Sixth Form students.  Through their extensive research, we were able to unveil a new World War II remembrance board, ensuring that the Academy alumni who lost their lives in the conflict will not be forgotten.

The wider community continues to support the Academy, we thank the James Kane Foundation for awarding the school a grant, which enabled us to offer bespoke support to disadvantaged students.

Our Shared Education Partnership continues to flourish. Our ASPIRE Ambassadors, working with students from Abbey Christian Brothers’ and Our Lady’s Grammar, were welcomed to the Long Gallery at Stormont. This special event, attended by numerous MLAs, celebrated the success of the initiative’s first year and the strong, lasting connections built between our three schools.

The Academy’s ethos continues to focus on care and concern for others.  Students signed up to volunteering activities, including community support, environmental teams, wellbeing champions and anti-bullying ambassadors.  The students and my colleagues were also incredibly generous, donating approximately £10,000 to various charities and providing hundreds of shoe boxes for Operation Christmas Child.  Of particular note, was a donation to the Mandeville Unit at Craigavon Area Hospital in memory of our much-loved former colleague the late Mrs Julie Robinson.  Today we thank Trevor and the Robinson family for donating an annual Prize and a beautiful Rose Bowl, it is very fitting that our former Head Girl, Julie & Trevor’s daughter – Ellie Robinson, is the inaugural winner of this A Level Spanish Prize.

We continued to supplement our extensive pastoral curriculum with a range of external speakers and guests, covering many important topics, such as, gambling, alcohol & drugs misuse, online safety and relationship & sexuality education.  Students also received crucial training in lifesaving CPR and Sixth Form participated in an important safe driving campaign.  We participated in the Department of Health’s, Health & Wellbeing programme – helping students develop healthy growth mind-sets and learn practical tips on looking after their emotional wellbeing.  A range of bespoke ‘Skills for Life’ development days were also arranged to ensure our students develop the skills to become successful confident young adults who can progress and become contributors to society.

Students continued to participate in the vast array of extra-curricular activities and House Competitions on offer, including Sports Day, with Crozier winning the fiercely contested House competition.

Almost 100 students travelled on the annual ski trip to Austria and large numbers continue to participate in the Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme.  The History department’s biannual trip to Berlin focused on World War II and the Cold War, providing the students with invaluable first-hand learning opportunities.  A multitude of departmental and co-curricular trips and activities also took place across the Art, Careers, English, Geography, History, Home Economics, Music, Politics, Religious Studies, Science and Technology departments.  These activities and visits nurtured our students understanding and provided crucial opportunities to develop key life skills.

Our Pathways Careers Fair was a huge success, connecting students from Years 10 to 14 with over 80 exhibitors. This diverse group included 50 businesses, from local traders to multi-nationals, and over 30 universities and colleges from across the UK and Ireland.  In Year 8, pupils enjoyed the chance to explore their employability skills as they transition from primary school with ‘Step Up’.  In Junior School the pupils flexed their entrepreneurial muscles with the ‘10X Challenge’.  Year 9 also took part in STEM workshops provided by Sentinus.  In Year 12 we used the ‘You’re Hired’ programme to help pupils understand the job market and produce winning CVs.

Numerous Sixth Form students took part in the flagship Young Enterprise company Programme.  Establishing three great companies: Revinyl, BeeBundled and Ashwood.  In addition, 12 students achieved great success in the Ulster University Assessment in Enterprise.

During the year we enjoyed a wonderful Carol Service and a magnificent Spring Concert.  Due to the ever-increasing demand, we have to seek an additional date to accommodate the numbers who wish to attend the annual concert.  I thank our Music Department, under the leadership of Mrs Munton and Mrs Qua for the musical items we will enjoy today.

Cassia Moore, achieved exceptional success, winning both the Vocal Category 1^st Prize and the overall Cordes Prize at the Royal Academy of Music’s New Talent Festival.  Cassia was also invited to sing with the prestigious Charles Wood Singers, recording for BBC Radio 3 & 4 and Radio Ulster, and performed at the Young Musicians’ Prom after winning 3^rd place in the NI Young Musician of the Year Competition.  Mollie Gibson performed a voice soloist for the New Irish Youth Choir and Rebekah Jackson played the trombone with the New Irish Youth Orchestra.  Maggie Parton successfully auditioned for the National Youth Concert Band and her sister Eilida played the principal trumpet with the National Children’s concert band in Cambridge.  An amazing 48 pupils were offered places in the National Youth Choir of Northern Ireland, equating to 66 Choir offers across the Junior, Girls, Training and Senior Choirs.

Due to time, I will only briefly outline another amazing year of sporting success for the Academy, with many Ulster and Irish titles secured; alongside 35 students receiving either National or International Caps across a wide range of sports.

We hosted a special Olympic Assembly, in recognition of former students who have gone on to compete at the Olympics.  Six former students represented their respective sports at the Olympics in Paris 2024 – apparently the most Olympians from any school in Ireland and possibly the world.  Having so many Olympians from this great part of the world is a tremendous accolade for both the school and our entire community.  The full list of Olympians from the Academy is now eight: Susie Berry (Eventing) – Paris 2024, Peter Brown (Hockey) – Paris 2024, our Guest of Honour today – Philip Doyle (Rowing) – Tokyo 2020 & Paris 2024 (Bronze Medal Winner), Eugene Magee (Hockey) – Rio 2016, Kyle Marshall (Hockey) – Paris 2024, Jonny McKee (Hockey) – Paris 2024, Mark Tumilty (Hockey Coach) – Paris 2024 and Russell White (Triathlon) – Tokyo 2020.

59 students received full Colours and 89 received half Colours for their exceptional achievements in school-related disciplines.  At the Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon Council (ABC) Awards – following a fantastic sailing season, Adam Green was awarded, for the second consecutive year, the Junior Male of the Year.

Our athletics and cross-country teams had a fantastic year. At the Irish Cross-Country Championships, both Emma Rankin and Emma Stewart achieved 9^th place finishes in their respective races. Emma Stewart’s talent was further recognised with selection for the Irish U17 team, winning a team gold.  Both Emmas were selected to represent Northern Ireland at the Mini London Marathon.

In the NI Archery Schools’ Cup, the Team were again crowned overall NI Team Champions and Isaac Smyth won Gold in the U16 Barebow.

The Minor Boys’ Badminton Team were crowned Ulster Champions for their league and went on to represent the school at the All-Ireland finals.

In the world of equestrian, Julianna Nelson won the Premier Individual NI Schools’ show jumping competition, Tilley Tumilty was crowned all-Ireland Eventing League Champion.  Lily Murphy representing Team Ireland, won the individual and overall British Show Pony Championship.  In the demanding four-discipline sport of Tetrathlon, Emma Stewart excelled, winning her class at the Pony Club UK Championships and alongside Harry Purdy securing top 10 finishes at both the Senior Regional Championships in Scotland and the Irish National Championships.

Our multi-award-winning Dance Teams, involving 90 pupils, excelled with their ‘Musicals’ theme this year. Their dedication paid dividends at the Ulster Fusion Dance Competition, where our Junior, Senior, and Mixed teams, along with our duets and trios, all took home Gold medals – a truly outstanding clean sweep.

Our Boys’ Hockey 1^st XI Team were crowned All-Ireland Schoolboy Champions for a record-equalling seventh time after a 1- 0 victory over Friends’ School Lisburn in Dublin.  Mr Jess deservedly won the ABC Council Schools’ Coach of the Year and Mr Walker (Team Manager) deserves a special mention for his dedication & commitment, as he steps down from his role as master-in-charge of Boys’ Hockey.  The U14 reached the Ferris Cup Final and yet again there were numerous representative honours – four Ulster U18 Interprovincial Champions: Josh Osbourne, Harry Taylor, Adam McKee, and team captain, Max Nicholson. They were joined representing Ulster U16 Charlie Taylor, Daniel McKee and Owen Dobson and U13 player Teddie McCandless.  Charlie, Daniel, Adam and Max all progressed to the Irish squads.

Girls’ Hockey players continue to play at the highest level – Ruby Johnston, Sophie Tate and Katie Leslie were selected to represent Ireland and Ruby Cousins and Annie Emerson represented Ulster U13.  Charlotte Betts, Katie Leslie, and Sophie Tate at U16 and Alyssa Somerville and Ruby Johnston at U18 represented the winning Ulster Teams at the Inter-pros.  The U12, U13A and B teams were crowned Mid-Ulster League Champions and won the Oxford Hockey Tournament.  Massive numbers continue to play hockey on a weekly basis, and it was a very strong season across the teams.  The Girls 1^st XI made it to the semi-final of the Belfast Telegraph Ulster Schools’ Cup and the U14 Girls were runners-up in the Stevenson Cup and quarter-finalists in the Junior Cup.

There was significant individual success in football, with Will Megaw’s selection for the NI U14 Performance Academy, and Harry Gough’s graduation from the Irish FA National Academy and subsequent international goal for the NI U16.

We celebrated the success of our Senior B Netball team, who won the Netball NI Schools’ Senior Shield.  Aimee Trainor was selected for the NI U19 squad, Maisie Nicholl and Talia Tamati were selected for the U15 Regional Development Squad.

We again hosted the Best Rugby Tournament with 250 P6 and P7 pupils from 16 local primary schools taking part.  The 1^st XV Rugby Team had an outstanding season with their new coach, Mr McClintock.  After winning their qualification group, they earned the unique opportunity to play their ‘final 16′ match at Ravenhill.  In some of the worst conditions imaginable, the team was defeated by Sullivan Upper.  Entering the Subsidiary Shield, they defeated a strong Enniskillen Royal Grammar School in the quarter-final but were narrowly defeated following another great performance in the semi-final against Methodist College Belfast.  The Medallion XV battled their way to the final of the Medallion Trophy, just coming up short in their attempt to win a trophy for the fourth year in a row.

There was outstanding individual success.  Andrew Jackson represented the Irish U18 Clubs & Schools on their tour to Italy, and Noah Bell was selected for the Irish U18 Schools’ training camp. Both Andrew and Noah also played for the Ulster U19 Team.  Several Ulster Age Grade representatives: Dawson Knox and Poppy Rogers (U16); Daniel Byrne, Isabella Copeland, Rachel Douglas and Eve Hetherington (U17); and Alana Eadie, Noah Haughey and Fynn Niblock (U18).

Our swimmers continue to excel at the highest levels, recording many personal bests during the year. At the Ulster Championships, Samantha Burns-Atkin won individual bronze, while our Intermediate Girls’ medley and freestyle relay teams both claimed Ulster titles. This success continued at the national level, with Charlie Hamilton competing in the Irish Minor Schools, and our freestyle and medley teams of Sophie Black, Samantha Burns-Atkin, Tara Kennedy, Rebecca Lane and Rose Turley combined to be crowned Irish Senior Schools’ Relay Champions. Furthermore, Sophie Black and Samantha Burns-Atkin were also selected for the Ulster development programme.

In table tennis, Curtis Rutten was selected for the Ulster team to play in Scotland, while our U13 Boys’ team were crowned Ulster Champions and represented the school at the Irish Championships.

Our Girls’ Tennis teams had a strong season, with the Junior Team competing well to reach their Shield Final and the Minor Team securing a shared victory in the Plate.

I feel very humble and proud to lead such a talented group of staff who are highly professional and genuinely caring.  Their enthusiasm and devotion to our students is the reason why the Academy is such an excellent school.  I thank my Vice Principals, Mrs Evans and Mr McFarland, my Senior Leadership Team, the Heads of Department, the entire Pastoral Team, House staff and all of my colleagues for their enthusiasm, support, dedication and friendship – they are the reason why the Academy remains one of the best schools in the country.

I thank Mr Mathers, our Chairman and the members of the Board of Governors for their support and encouragement.  During the year we moved to a newly reconstituted Board of Governors and it is appropriate today we acknowledge Mr Tom Shields for over 30 years of service as an Academy Governor.  I thank Mr Dennis Livingstone for his leadership and friendship in his role as Chair of the Board of Governors for the past 6 years.  We acknowledge Mr Mark Orr KC as a former Chair and also in recognition of the huge honour in his recent appointment as Pro-Chancellor of the prestigious university – Trinity College Dublin.

Prize Day is a significant event in the life of the School and the organisation of the day is a tribute to the considerable expertise of Mrs Evans, Mrs Morrison and Mrs Neill.  I take this opportunity to thank them on behalf of everyone present for all their efforts in arranging such a special day.  A special note of thanks to Mr Brown for his expertise on playing the organ.

In conclusion, we continue to live in an uncertain fast changing world but please be assured that the Academy will continue to meet the needs of the outstanding young men and women entrusted to our care.

Thank you

Mr R S McLoughlin OBE