Cambridge House Grammar School

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Cambridge House Grammar School is a mixed, controlled grammar school in the County Antrim town of Ballymena, Northern Ireland.

1 General
2 Principal
3 The house system
4 School Leadership
5 Website

[edit] General

The school is located in the scenic Galgorm Road area of the town at Brocklamont, a mature site surrounded by gardens and playing fields comprising almost 80 acres. Cambridge House is the newest grammar school in the province, having being opened in September 2001, following the successful amalgamation of the old Cambridge House Grammar School for Girls (founded 1910) and Cambridge House Boy's Grammar School (founded 1975). The main school buildings are contemporary and the campus was refurbished in 2001 and equipped to a very high standard prior to the opening of the new school. The Technology and Design Suite is an award winning architectural building and the most recent addition to the school, and its facilities are among the best in the province. The school has recently invested over a quarter of a million pounds in the latest computer technology to ensure that pupils and staff have access to the very latest in computer multimedia and Internet learning packages. The school also includes a separate English, Drama and Media annexe and a self contained, Sixth Form Centre complete with both private and communal study areas, a common room and a coffee shop.

The current enrollment of the school is approximately 1100 pupils, and it employs 70 members of teaching staff.

The school motto is “Per Laborem” which means “Through hard work”.

“Together we create futures” is the schools mission statement, which reflects the schools desire for all members of the schools community, including staff, parents and friends to contribute to the high quality education of the pupils.

[edit] Principal

Mrs. Eileen Lisk BA, MEd, DASE, PGCE assumed her position as Principal in February 2004. She is a graduate of the Queen's University of Belfast, having obtained her BA in English and French in 1978. Mrs Lisk has had a long career with the North Eastern Education and Library Board, in both teaching and non teaching roles.

[edit] The house system

Cambridge House Grammar School (CHGS) is split into six houses, and the pastoral care of each pupil is enforced by this system. The house system is based on patrons who are successful in a wide range of expertise, such as sports, business, science and the Arts. The ethos behind the house system is that each pupil can relate to a smaller unit within the school and have a sense of identity in such a large school. Each house is allocated a House Director, two Heads of House and a team of seven group tutors. Each House fosters the development of Leadership skills in the pupils, as House Prefects are elected in year 11. Each house has a separate colour, house charity and house council. The houses, and their patrons are listed below.

Jones House: Marie Jones, Belfast born playwright.
Burnell House: Professor Jocelyn Bell Burnell, phyicsist.
Abercorn House: Alexandra Hamilton, Duchess of Abercorn, founder of The Pushkin Prizes.
Bell House: The Late Derek Bell, musician and member of the Chieftains.
Patton House: David Patton, local businessman.
Robinson House: Brian Robinson, former Ulster and Ireland rugby player and past pupil.

[edit] School Leadership

Mr. Charles Mills: Principal, September 2001-June 2003.
Mrs. Elma Lutton (Current Vice Principal): Acting Principal, September 2003-February 2004.
Mrs. Eileen Lisk: Principal, Febrary 2004-Present.