Principal makes his 17th report

principal Mr John Wilkinson delivered his 17th

headmaster’s report at last week’s 55th annual Speech night and Prizegiving.

Special guest was human trafficking victims campaigner Kate Richardson.

Other guests included SEELB Chief Executive Gregory Butler, Banbridge Council Chairman Olive Mercer, Dromore Councillors Paul Rankin and Hazel Gamble, new Dromore Central Primary School principal Mrs Linda Allen, Banbridge Academy principal Mr Raymond Pollock , the SELB’s Mr Mike Donaghy and Mr Aidan McCormack and MLAs MLA’s Jonatahn Craig, Craig, Edwin Poots and Brenda Hale.

Mr Wilkinson spoke on three major areas - the school’s contribution to developing ‘Courage and Risk-taking’, celebration of pupils’ efforts in various aspects of school life and exams and ‘future thinking’ on Dromore High School.

One of the most significant areas of courageous activity, he said, was the continued development of the school’s sixth form.

“As a school,” he said, “we entered this arena considerably later than other post-primary schools but I believe we entered it for the right reasons. Of greatest concern to me was the need for our young people to achieve to their maximum at post 16. We wanted to give as many as were gifted the opportunity to study A Levels and their equivalent.

“Equally we wanted the overall sixth-form experience to be fulfilling and of the highest quality.

“We believe we have achieved that and, more to the point, the sixth-form student evaluation of their experiences confirmed our beliefs.”

Mr Wilkinson said the school as a whole thanked the local and wider community for support during sixth-form development.

Among many other things the principal noted that Dromore High had over the year raised a total of £8,055.56 for various charitable causes.

He said too the school was delighted with the results achieved by pupils at GCE and BTEC Level 3 equivalents, the vast majority of whom did not manage to gain a grammar school place at age 11, but made a suitable reply by achieving results which secured university and other Higher Education places.

Also, at GCSE and equivalent level, he said, the school sustained its high level of achievement and was listed among the highest performing schools at 5+ A*-C, with 76%.