Christian Brothers Grammar School, Omagh

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Christian Brother's Grammar School, Omagh. The main access is from the Kevlin Road.
Address
Kevlin Road

Omagh
,
County Tyrone
,
BT78 1LD

Northern Ireland
Coordinates54°35′53″N 7°18′07″W / 54.598°N 7.302°W / 54.598; -7.302
Information
TypeBoys–only grammar school
MottoLatin: Facere et Docere
(English: To do and to teach)
Religious affiliation(s)Roman Catholic
Established1861 (1861)
Local authorityEducation Authority (Western)
PrincipalFoncy McConnell
Staff115
Years offeredYear 8-Year 14
GenderBoys
Age range11-18
Enrollment944 boys (2023)[1]
Colour(s)   
Websitecbsomagh.org

The Christian Brothers Grammar School, Omagh is an 11–18 boys grammar school in Omagh, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is the largest grammar school in Omagh.[2] It is under the trusteeship of the Edmund Rice Schools Trust (NI).

The school was founded on 14 January 1861, on Mount St. Columba by "The Brothers" who were in the town of Omagh, who established the school after being given the responsibility of ensuring that education was gratuitous and had free admission on entry. On January 14, 1861, the school officially opened, with 121 boys presenting themselves for admission.[3]

The school is known locally as The Brothers, Omagh CBS or Scoil Ghramadaí na mBráithre Críostaí, An Omaigh, which is its native name in Irish.[4]

History

Formation, 1861

The school was founded on 14 January 1861, on Mount St. Columba. "The Brothers" in Omagh were given the responsibility of ensuring that "Education be gratuitous and the admission free." On January 14, 1861, the school officially opened, with 121 boys presenting themselves for admission.[5]

An extension was completed to the original building in 1903 as the school community continued to grow. The extension consisted of a second floor to the school and a third to the brothers' house. This came at the time a considerable cost of £1,200 partly financed by an £800 loan from past pupils. Operations of the school were moved to old Church, Brook Street while construction was under way. Once finished the renovations provided the school with three more rooms; one for Manual Instruction, a sixty student accommodating classroom and a room with all the necessities for Practical and Experimental Science. By 1932, a new building was constructed to accommodate 125 Secondary School Pupils and 6 teachers (2 Brothers), with the full site also consisting of 210 Primary School Pupils and 6 teachers (5 Brothers).[6] The school continued to increase in numbers throughout the 1950s, with 216 Grammar School pupils and 361 Primary School pupils along with 16 staff in total by 1955. The Centenary Celebrations of the school were marked during January 1961, with a local housing development being named Centenary Park to commemorate the centenary of the school.[7]

Since the construction of a new build completed in 1967, the original school building has since gone into other use as a retreat. A primary school, Holy Family Primary School - Junior Site (previously St Colmcille's Primary School), has been the school there since. Its original headmaster was Brother John Redmond.[8] On its first day of activity one hundred and twenty boys, all aged between five and fifteen, showed up.

New build, 1967

The school moved to is present site on Kevlin Road in 1967. The school building officially opened on Kevlin Road on 4 September 1967.[9] In 1993, after the resignation of Brother McCrohan, the school appointed its first non-clerical headmaster, Roddy Tierney, a former pupil of the school and a teacher in the school. The Principal is Foncy McConnell who was appointed in March 2016, having been acting Principal for the previous year, and previously Vice Principal, having taught in the school since 1987. Like Tierney he is a former pupil of Omagh CBS.

In 2000, the school opened a new Sports Complex at Coolnagard and, in 2007, the school had won the Hogan Cup, making the school All Ireland Colleges Champions in Gaelic Football. The beginning of the 21st Century saw the school maintain its high standards of academic excellence, as well as an unprecedented period of sporting excellence. Academic rewards included record breaking A-Level and GCSE results, as well as numerous pupils attaining top place in subjects at both GCSE and A-Level. In 2018, the school celebrated 50 years on the Kevlin Road site.[10]

Future developments and plans

It is planned that by 2026, the school will relocate with five other schools to a shared campus. The other schools are Loreto Grammar School, Omagh, Omagh High School, Sacred Heart College, Omagh and Omagh Academy which will join Arvalee Special School. This Strule Shared Education Campus is the largest ever school-building project in Northern Ireland.[11]

School ethos

Boys outside the school building

Christian Brothers' Grammar School, Omagh is part of the Edmund Rice Schools network and subscribes to the Edmund Rice Schools Trust's Charter. These values focus on teaching and lifelong learning, caring for one another, the development of the Catholic faith, transformational leadership and a genuine sense of community and partnership.[12]

Admission of boys to the school indicate that both the boys attending, and their parents, subscribe to the school's status as an Edmund Rice School, an acceptance of all school regulations by each student and his parents and an undertaking to observe all such regulations.[13]

Boys attending Christian Brothers' Grammar School, Omagh will have the opportunity to nurture their faith through active participation in whole school masses, collective acts of worship and daily prayer.[14]

School Development Fund

The school operates a School Development Fund, with parents of each student attending being asked to contribute £60 towards the Christian Brothers School Development Fund. For families with two sons attending, the contribution is £100 and £120 for three or more sons attending the school.[15]

Contributions to the school development fund are used exclusively to benefit the students, providing additional resources and facilities beyond the allocated school budget allowance.[16]

Uniform and standards

Current uniform for boys

The school states that its school uniform is a "visible statement of each student's allegiance to this school community". The school's current uniform policy is as follows:[17]

Compulsory School Uniform

  • Black blazer with school crest
  • Long black school trousers
  • Light blue shirt with long or short sleeves as preferred
  • School tie
  • Plain black formal shoes or boots without any decoration
  • P.E. Kit

Optional is the Royal blue v-neck jumper

Uniform standards

Boys attending the school are expected to wear their blazers when moving between classes, but may remove them during class. Additionally, the school places an expectation that boys' shirts should always be buttoned at the neck and cuffs, and ties should be properly worn. Additionally, the school expects that t-shirts or vests, or other undergarments worn under the shirt, should be white and not visible at the shirt collar or cuffs. Boys are not permitted to wear coloured or printed t-shirts which are visible through their shirts.[18]

Boys are only permitted to wear formal style black leather shoes or boots. Trainers or canvas style footwear are not permitted. No deviation or variation from orthodox black shoes or boots is permitted.[19]

Academics

Subjects

The school's focus is academic, offering compulsory subjects of English Literature, English Language, Science, and Mathematics until GCSE. The School also focuses on the teachings of the Catholic faith, making Religious Studies compulsory at GCSE, and as a subsidiary weekly lesson during A Level years.

The Christian Brothers' Grammar School, Omagh offers a full school curriculum, including;[20]

  • Science,
  • Information Communication Technology (ICT),
  • Music,
  • Languages,
  • Art and Design,
  • Performing Arts,
  • History,
  • Geography,
  • Religious Education (RE),
  • Technology and Design
  • Physical Education (PE).

As well as meeting the Northern Ireland statutory entitlement for curriculum provision, the Christian Brothers' Grammar School aims to ensure its curriculum provision to allow every pupil to fulfil his academic potential, meet the individual learning needs of every pupil by ensuring the curriculum is diverse, stimulating and tailored to the employment needs of our local and global economy. Additionally, the school's curriculum aims to develops students' independent learning skills, thinking skills and personal capabilities as well as developing a genuine sense of community whilst seeking to enhance the spiritual, moral and personal development of all students.[21]

Attainment levels

In 2018, 94.2% of its entrants achieved five or more GCSEs at grades A* to C, including the core subjects English and Maths.[22]

In 2019 the school was ranked 18th out of 159 secondary schools in Northern Ireland with 86.7% of its A-level students who sat the exams in 2017/18 being awarded three A*-C grades.[23]

The school had an overall attendance rate of 89.6% (2021–22), and in 2023, had 950 boys enrolled (exclusive of statemented students) and 135 admissions.[24]

Sports

In Gaelic football, the school has won the MacRory Cup (the highest level for Ulster schools) in 1974, 2001, 2005, 2007 and 2023 and the All Ireland Hogan Cup in 2007 and 2023.[25][26] and many other under-age level competitions for example Omagh CBS won the Rannafast Cup in 2009 and 2012 and the McCormick cup in 2008, 2009 and 2011

Notable former pupils

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Year 8 Admissions Criteria for September 2023". Christian Brothers Grammar School, Omagh. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  2. ↑ McAleer, Ryan (26 May 2017). "Omagh schools delay selection phase-out". Ulster Herald. Retrieved 10 January 2019.
  3. ↑ "Information for Parents and Students 2023/24" (PDF). CBS Omagh. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
  4. ↑ "CBS Omagh, History of the school". Retrieved 6 December 2019.
  5. ↑ "Information for Parents and Students 2023/24" (PDF). CBS Omagh. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
  6. ↑ "Information for Parents and Students 2023/24" (PDF). CBS Omagh. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
  7. ↑ "Information for Parents and Students 2023/24" (PDF). CBS Omagh. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
  8. ↑ From Mount St Columba to Kevlin Road.
  9. ↑ "Information for Parents and Students 2023/24" (PDF). CBS Omagh. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
  10. ↑ "Information for Parents and Students 2023/24" (PDF). CBS Omagh. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
  11. ↑ Meredith, Robbie (12 March 2022). "Landmark Strule shared education campus faces further delay". BBC Northern Ireland. Retrieved 4 June 2022.
  12. ↑ "Information for Parents and Students 2023/24" (PDF). CBS Omagh. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
  13. ↑ "Information for Parents and Students 2023/24" (PDF). CBS Omagh. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
  14. ↑ "Information for Parents and Students 2023/24" (PDF). CBS Omagh. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
  15. ↑ "Information for Parents and Students 2023/24" (PDF). CBS Omagh. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
  16. ↑ "Information for Parents and Students 2023/24" (PDF). CBS Omagh. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
  17. ↑ "Information for Parents and Students 2023/24" (PDF). CBS Omagh. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
  18. ↑ "Information for Parents and Students 2023/24" (PDF). CBS Omagh. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
  19. ↑ "Information for Parents and Students 2023/24" (PDF). CBS Omagh. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
  20. ↑ "Information for Parents and Students 2023/24" (PDF). CBS Omagh. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
  21. ↑ "Information for Parents and Students 2023/24" (PDF). CBS Omagh. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
  22. ↑ "Belfast Telegraph GCSE 2018". Belfasttelegraph. Retrieved 22 September 2018.
  23. ↑ "Belfast Telegraph A-Level: Northern Ireland School League Tables 2019". Belfasttelegraph. Retrieved 21 March 2019.
  24. ↑ "Information for Parents and Students 2023/24" (PDF). CBS Omagh. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
  25. ↑ "Omagh CBS claim MacRory triumph". BBC News. 26 March 2005. Retrieved 16 August 2017.
  26. ↑ "Omagh snatch MacRory Cup triumph". BBC News. Retrieved 16 August 2017.
  27. ↑ "BBC Governors Professor Fabian Monds CBE". BBC. Archived from the original on 21 April 2005.
  28. ↑ "Phil Taggart returns to old school to advise pupils how to Make It".
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