Aquinas Diocesan Grammar School

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Aquinas Diocesan Grammar School
Aquinas Grammar School Logo.jpg
Address
Aquinas Diocesan Grammar School
518 Ravenhill Road

,
BT6 OBY

Coordinates 54°34′34″N5°54′27″W / 54.576168°N 5.907435°W / 54.576168; -5.907435
Information
TypeGrammar School
MottoVeritas Liberabit (The truth shall set you free)
Religious affiliation(s) Roman Catholic
Established1993
ClosedJuly - August
Local authority Education Authority (Belfast)
Chair of Board of GovernorsMr Terry McDaid
PrincipalDr Marie Dowling
ChaplainColin Grant
Staff~100
Gender Coeducational
Age11to 18
Enrolment770
Colour(s)   
Sports Basketball, Gaelic football, hockey, netball, rugby, soccer, swimming, tennis
School YearsYear 8 - Year 14
Website http://aquinasgrammar.com/

Aquinas Diocesan Grammar School is a co-educational Catholic Maintained grammar school situated on the Ravenhill Road, Belfast, Northern Ireland. It teaches a range of subjects. Its main education board of choice is CCEA, but the school also uses AQA and Edexcel for certain subjects. [1]

Contents

History

Aquinas was established by the Diocese of Down and Connor as a co-educational voluntary Grammar School. It admitted the first 110 pupils in September 1993. The current building for which the school occupies finished construction in January 2003. [2]

Motto and crest

The school's motto is Veritas Liberabit which is Latin for "The truth will set you free". The school crest is a circle half-surrounded by a 'mane' (representing the Evangelist Mark), and inside the circle in one half there is half of an ox (symbolising St Thomas Aquinas) and the symbol of the lamb and the keys.

Academics

It teaches a range of subjects. Its main education board of choice is CCEA, but the school also uses AQA and Edexcel for certain subjects.

In 2018 it was ranked joint first in Northern Ireland for its GCSE performance with 100% of its entrants receiving five or more GCSEs at grades A* to C, including the core subjects English and Maths. [3]

In 2019 the school was ranked 11th out of 159 secondary schools in Northern Ireland with 88.4% of its A-level students who entered the exams in 2017/18 being awarded three A*-C grades. [4]

In 2022 the school was ranked 2nd out of the top 10 performing schools in Northern Ireland and ranked 35th state and independent school in England, Wales and Northern Ireland in Parent Power, The Sunday Times Schools Guide 2023. [5]

See also

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References

  1. "Aquinas Diocesan Grammar School". Education Authority. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
  2. "Project profile: Aquinas Diocesan Grammar School" (PDF). Michael Nugent mechanical & electrical services.
  3. "Belfast Telegraph GCSE 2018". Belfasttelegraph. Retrieved 22 September 2018.
  4. "Belfast Telegraph A-Level: Northern Ireland School League Tables 2019". Belfasttelegraph. Retrieved 21 March 2019.
  5. "St Mary's Magherafelt tops Sunday Times' school table". Belfasttelegraph.co.uk.