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The first programme features 11 choirs but only the best two choirs will be lucky enough to progress to the semi-finals.
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Five local Grammar schools have made a joint decision to either wholly or in part, used the outcomes of GL Entrance Assessment as the basis of selection of P7 pupils for admission to their respective schools.
As a local consortium, these five schools have operated a central registration procedure with all applicants from the same Primary School sitting the GL Entrance Assessment in one of the five schools listed.
A statement issued today said "The Boards of Governors and the Principals of Abbey Christian Brothers’ Grammar School, Our Lady’s Grammar School, Sacred Heart Grammar School, St Colman’s College, Newry and St Louis Grammar School, Kilkeel have considered the impact of school closures on our local community. They recognise that there has been disruption to the education of pupils since March 2020, including that of P6 pupils and understand that there may be further disruption during the 2020-21 academic year.
"The Boards of Governors of the five schools in the Newry and Kilkeel Consortium have agreed, in light of the current circumstances and for one year only, that the academic admissions criteria in each of the five schools will not be used for the academic year 2021-22."
Decision
The statement continues "The decision not to use the outcomes of the GL Entrance Assessment for the 2021-22 academic year is specific and particular to this group of five schools in the Newry and Kilkeel area. Each school remains committed to its own ethos and academic focus on high quality teaching and learning. Those who would normally apply to be admitted to each individual school are encouraged to continue to do so.
"Careful consideration was given to this decision to temporarily remove the academically selective element of each school’s admissions criteria for one year only i.e. the academic year 2021-22. It is hoped that this decision will provide clarity in the local area for P6 pupils and their parents/carers."
Edit 29/5/20 6pm
Speaking following a joint announcement by five schools in the Newry area Newry and Armagh MLA, Liz Kimmins said ''I welcome and commend the decision by Abbey CBS, Sacred Heart, Saint Colman's, Our Lady's and St Louis Kilkeel to suspend the use of unregulated tests for this coming academic year.
''This is absolutely necessary to allow our teachers, school staff and of course children to prepare for a return to school, rather than the stress of a high-level exams.
“Academic selection is wrong and unnecessary and puts undue pressure on children.
“Leading human rights and equality organisations, the children’s commissioner and leading trade unions all support the call to abandon academic selection altogether.
''I am hopeful that the other selective schools will follow the leadership and the example shown by the schools in the Newry area and do away with the use of these unregulated transfer tests and instead focus on the task of preparing to return to schools when it is safe to do so."
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Five local primary schools enjoyed a ‘Drive By’ Graduation last week in the absence of their normal school leaving gatherings which couldn't be held due to Covid-19. The event was organised by Mulkerns EUROSPAR and Mulkerns SPAR Jonesborough.
The Team from Mulkerns worked together with Dromintee, Jonesborough, Killeen, Meigh and Cloughogue PS, to give the P7’s a chance for one last celebration with their classmates.
Terry Mulkerns, Mulkerns Eurospar commented “We wanted to do something for kids in our community who were sadly leaving Primary School without any real recognition or opportunity to mark the occasion. We came up with the idea of the Drive-By Graduation at our local stores… we’re delighted to say that the events were a huge success! There was a real party atmosphere and the kids loved it”.
The drive by involved a convoy of P7 parents cars following the Mulkerns EUROSPAR party jeep. The party jeep was fitted with speaker system blasting out tunes, leading the convoy through local villages to plenty of jubilant beeping and loud music. When the P7s arrived at the shop the staff came out and cheered them through a special archway.
The kids also got a free goody bag and the now coveted “Lockdown Leavers” T-shirt. Many of the cars were decorated with balloons and messages and the kid’s happy faces smiling out the windows said it all. The team at Mulkerns congratulate all the P7s and wish them the best for their new schools.
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Assembly Member for Newry and Armagh Justin McNulty MLA has called on the Department of Education to consider introducing a PE and Sport Premium programme in schools here similar to that announced by UK Education Minister Gavin Williamson last week. Write a comment
A meeting was held last month by a number of Newry primary school principals to discuss the way forward and the implications of the Department of Education's Re-Opening School Guidance following the Coronavirus pandemic.
The Newry Area Primary Principals (NAPP) a group of about 35 Primary Principals from Newry, South Down and South Armagh agreed that schools would re-open 24 August and procedures would be put in place to deal with circumstances introduced by the Covid-19 crisis.
* Schools will communicate with parent in mid August in prepartation for the induction week for pupils commencing 24 August.
Decisions Made
All of this information is subject to change in light of fast evolving Department of Education Guidance and the group will continue to meet over the summer to explore how the needs of pupils will be met and yet remain compliant with Department of Education and Public Health Authority Guidance.
Edit
* line added 2.30pm 22/7/20
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A special podcast commissioned by the agri-food business ABP which operates from sites in Newry and Lurgan has revealed that the Covid-19 pandemic has shone a spotlight on the variety of roles available and is giving young people the confidence to pursue future employment in the sector.
Speaking on the ‘Now We’re Talking Farming’ podcast with host Karen Patterson, Dr Andrew Bell, a part-time beef farmer from Stewartstown and Head of Biology at Belfast Royal Academy. Dr Bell said that ‘young people are growing up in a world of work that has shifted rapidly as a result of Covid-19 and that he was hopeful about the future for young people in Northern Ireland’s agri-food sector. One of Dr Bell’s pupils, 18-year old Lorcan Convery, from Templepatrick won an outstanding individual achievement award on ABP’s agri-skills development programme for teenagers, the ABP Angus Youth Challenge’. In the podcast Lorcan explains how he now wants to pursue business studies at university and that he competed in the programme because he saw it as ‘something completely different that could help him.’
Also taking part in the podcast is the Education Adviser for the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise, Liz Simpson, said, “The pandemic has profiled the diversity and the dynamics of the industry and the long-held careers that are there. There has been a confidence boost in people working in the land-based sector because of the recognition their roles have been getting from the wider public during the pandemic. Students are seeing the jobs that are available through the spotlight on key workers within agriculture, production, and processing and in food retail. I am also regularly being contacted by agri-food companies looking for graduates and who are offering work placements during the past few months.”
The podcast is running throughout the summer and is available to watch/listen in to at the ABP Food Group Website.
View Podcast below
Edit 7/8/20 - Above link fixed
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Following a period of uncertainty regarding how schools should prepare for reopening their doors the Education Minister Peter Weir has today published revised guidance setting out how schools should plan for the new school day.
The New School Day guidance outlines proposals for the full reopening of schools at the start of the new school year.
Progressing from the New School Day Guidance issued in June, this updated guidance takes account of advice from the Chief Medical Officer, Michael McBride and Chief Scientific Officer, Ian Young. They have also drawn from published information from SAGE.
Minister Weir said: “My strategic objective has always been for the full-time resumption of classroom-based learning for all pupils as soon as possible, and when appropriate to do so.
“This latest guidance takes into account the Executive’s agreement of 6 August that the requirement for strict social distancing between children may be relaxed in the presence of other mitigations.
“In many ways, it reinforces practices we have all become accustomed to, promoting regular hygiene practices on arrival at schools and throughout the school day, and the application of the “catch it, bin it, kill it” principles.
“It also acknowledges that current social distancing guidance of 2m must continue to be followed between adults within the education sector.”
Restart Programme
The guidance is part of an overall Restart Programme and has been co-designed by the Department of Education, school leaders and key partners. Engagement with a consultation group comprising Managing Authorities, trade unions and sectoral support bodies as part of an ongoing process has been in place since March 2020.We will continue to work with the consultation group and school leaders and key partners as we move forward.
Minister Weir continued: “I have at all times recognised the stresses felt by teachers, parents and pupils due to the ongoing disruption and uncertainty regarding the future.
“That is why I would urge all in our society to continue to play their part in addressing the challenges posed by Covid-19."
Don't Attend School if you have Symptoms
The Minister said the first step in keeping our schools safe is that anyone with symptoms should not attend school. Parents should not send their children to school if they have any of the Covid-19 symptoms such as:
a high temperature – this means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back (you do not need to measure your temperature)
a new, continuous cough – this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours (if you usually have a cough, it may be worse than usual)
a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste – this means you've noticed you cannot smell or taste anything, or things smell or taste different to normal
Protective Bubbles
Minister Weir added “Within school, in circumstances where strict social distancing between children cannot reasonably be applied, the use of ‘protective bubbles’, decreasing interaction and movement around the school must be followed. This additional mitigating measure has been applied successfully by other countries in their arrangements for reopening of schools.
“The guidance also promotes a flexible approach to use of existing spaces as a means of maximising face-to-face teaching opportunities and provides the framework within which workforce planning can now be developed.”
Concluding the Minister said: “This guidance will remain agile and will continue to reflect public health advice. We will continue to keep under review all medical and scientific developments.”
Download the full report below.
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Today's decision by Education Minister Peter Weir to change the way A Level results locally were awarded has been welcomed by local political representatives.
There had been calls to recall the Assembly as a result of a decision which saw grades awarded with the help of a mathmatical algorithm, leaving many pupils with lower results that their schools had awarded them.
All A-Level and AS candidates in Northern Ireland taking qualifications through the Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA) will now be awarded the higher of the grades submitted by their college or the grade calculated by CCEA.
Education Minister Peter Weir said: “I have today instructed CCEA that all of their AS and A level qualifications will now be awarded the higher of the grade submitted by their centre or the grade calculated by CCEA.
Students Can Access Grades from their College
“CCEA is working to release the revised results to candidates as quickly as possible. In the interim, students will be able to access details of their Centre Assessed Grade from their school or college.
“Concerns remain over the impact of changes to the qualifications system throughout the United Kingdom and any potential solution offered has its flaws.
“However, my prime concern is to ensure that young people in Northern Ireland are in no way disadvantaged in comparison to their peers elsewhere.
“Portability and comparability of qualifications is critical for students, particularly in Northern Ireland.
“Whilst standardisation is normally an important feature of awarding qualifications, these are truly unique circumstances and this approach is now being adopted across the UK. This is why I have taken this decision today.
“In the challenging situation in which we find ourselves, there are no perfect solutions. Students would have preferred to have taken their exams, but that was simply not possible in the circumstances. There is no substitute for exams themselves and recent events highlight the need for a full-time return to education, five days a week.
“I want to thank our teachers and school leaders for all their hard work during this extremely challenging time.
“Our young people have shown their tremendous attitude and resilience though the COVID-19 pandemic. I hope today’s decision will provide a platform for them to go forward positively into Higher Education, employment or training.”
Sensible Response
Newry and Armagh MLA Liz Kimmins said "This is the right decision and was the only sensible response to the problems which were evident last week. Minister Weir should have taken the action earlier and on the merits of the arguments rather than waiting on the approach of Ministers in London.
"The delay in changing this process has served only to compound the stress and and anxiety experienced by our students, their families and teachers”.
Concluding Ms Kimmins said “I’m pleased that through cross-party co-operation and pressure from the Education Committee that we now have a positive outcome for our young people and that the right decision has finally been made.”
Pupils Grades Unlocked
MLA Justn McNulty added "Teachers have been trusted, pupil's grades have been unlocked. Major well done to the pupils, parents, teachers and principals who So Powerfully Aired Their Anger and Frustration at the Grading Injustice
"Well done to the Minister on his volte-face. Now all AS & A2 students will receive the highest of either their CAG (teacher assessed grades) or the grade provided by CCEA."
A decision was also made today to award GCSE results according to the grades given by pupil's college. These results will be announced on Thursday coming.
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After a five month break Newry schools began their long journey back to a different normal today with pupils returning en masse following the onset locally of Covid-19 restrictions. All schools were ordered to close by the Stormont Executive 23 March but many local ones decided to close the weekend earlier than that themselves.
School staff have been preparing this past week getting classrooms ready for the return. Of course there are now many new words on the curiculum thanks to Covid-19 including social distancing, sanitising, pandemic, face coverings, physical interaction, flattening the curve and protective bubbles.
The NI Executive published a lengthy 70 page New School Day guidance document with the document noting that there is relatively low immediate risk to children’s health from SARS-CoV- 2, with evidence indicating that children/adolescents have lower susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection and clinical disease than adults.
Stringent social distancing requirements were relaxed earlier this month although public health guidance with respect to social distancing of 2 metres (2m) will remain in place between adults and as far as possible between adults and pupils. Schools are advised to endeavour strenuously to implement as much social distancing as is practical where physical capacity and curriculum delivery permit. 'Protective bubbles' will be used as a key mitigating action where possible. The protective bubble arrangements will be used to segment pupils into a consistent group or groups as far as is practicable. Assembly type events are also to be avoided and one way systems will also be in place in schools.
Paul Kane, Principal of Sacred Heart Grammar School welcomed new students saying "The Principal and staff of SHS would like to send their best wishes to all our returning students and offer a word of welcome to our new Year 8 intake. As this new and very different school year commences, know that we are all in this together, we will look out for each other, support each other and we will get through this together"
In keeping with recommendations for pupils to walk or cycle if possible Saint Patrick’s in The Meadow have adopted an Education Authority recommended “Park & Stride” scheme where St Brigid’s car park access will be used by parents and children who walk to school.
Overall it is a completely new scenario for both teachers and pupils. The first term of 2020 will certainly be spoken of in History classes for many years to come!
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