Our Lady's Grammar School
| Our Lady's Grammar School, Newry | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
 | |
Chequer Hill, Newry BT35 6DY Northern Ireland | |
| Coordinates | 54°10′51″N 6°20′30″W / 54.1808°N 6.3418°W |
| Information | |
| Type | Grammar |
| Motto | Ora et Labora ("Pray and Work") |
| Religious affiliation(s) | Roman Catholic |
| Established | 1887 |
| Local authority | Education Authority (Southern) |
| Principal | Fiona McAlinden |
| Gender | Female |
| Age | 11 to 18 |
| Enrolment | 965 |
| Colour(s) | |
| Website | www |
Our Lady's Grammar School is a girls' grammar school in Newry, Northern Ireland. It is at Chequer Hill, on the County Armagh side of the Newry River.
History[edit]
Our Lady's was founded by the Sisters of Mercy. It first opened its doors on 21 November 1887, with only nine pupils. Initially lessons took place in a room in the Mercy Convent, but by 1894 the school was located in a four-storey house in Canal Street, Newry. The numbers of boarders and day-pupils gradually increased and the school expanded over a large site between Canal Street and Catherine Street. By the early 1980s there were 660 pupils and a new school building was in urgent need. The new building was opened at Chequer Hill in 1992. The school currently has an enrolment of about 930.[1]
In 2017 Arlene Foster the leader of the DUP visited the school at which she expressed being ‘uplifted’ after meeting pupils studying the Irish language.[2]
In November 2019, a new Technology block, the Mercy Building, opened. This is a standalone facility consisting of a five-room Technology and Design Suite, four general classrooms and lunchtime facilities for Lower Sixth.
In October 2019, the previous Technology facilities were demolished, and work began on a new ICT building which opened in April 2021. The Russell building houses two state of the art ICT suites and a Sixth Form ICT room. The Emmanuel study and two further general classrooms are on the ground floor of the facility.[2]
Academics[edit]
Our Lady's Grammar School has a long tradition of high performance in academics.[3] In 2019 100% of its entrants received five or more GCSEs at grades A* to C, including the core subjects of English and Maths.[3] [4]
86.1% of its students who sat the A-level exams in 2018/19 were awarded three A*-C grades.[5]
Notable alumni[edit]
- Carmel Hanna (b. 1946) - politician
References[edit]
- ^ "Newry School Has A Tradition Of Excellence". Retrieved 1 October 2017.
- ^ [1]; accessed 27 May 2017
- ^ "Newry Memoirs - Newry School Has a Tradition of Excellence".
- ^ "Belfast Telegraph GCSE 2018". Belfasttelegraph. Retrieved 23 September 2018.
- ^ "Irish News A-Level: Northern Ireland Grsmmqr School League Tables 2020". Irish News. 10 February 2020. Retrieved 10 February 2020.
External links[edit]
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- Educational institutions established in 1887
- Grammar schools in County Armagh
- Schools in County Armagh
- Girls' schools in Northern Ireland
- Education in Newry
- Catholic secondary schools in Northern Ireland
- Sisters of Mercy schools
- Single-gender schools in Northern Ireland
- 1887 establishments in Ireland
- Northern Ireland school stubs