Methodist College Belfast

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Methodist College Belfast is a voluntary grammar school in Belfast, Northern Ireland, At present the Grammar School has 1850 pupils, aged 11 - 18, making it one of the largest schools in Belfast. It possesses two boarding departments - School House (110 boys) and McArthur Hall (70 girls); and two preparatory departments (Downey House and Fullerton House), each with 280 pupils, aged 5 - 11. Although originally founded by the Methodist Church, the school features one of the broadest mixes of pupils from different communities in Northern Ireland, with substantial numbers from Catholic background in addition to the Protestant majority, and pupils of Jewish background and overseas students from such places as Singapore, Hong Kong and Malaysia. The school is generally regarded for its high academic standards (regularly sending students to Oxford and Cambridge Universities), and its strict discipline and uniform policies.

It is one of the seven Northern Irish schools represented on the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference.

Contents

[edit] History

The school was founded in 1865 by the Methodist Church in Ireland for the education of children of Methodist ministers, and opened three years later. Just three months after it opened, the college admitted "young ladies" to be educated on equal terms with boys, and the college has been co-educational ever since. As a grammar school it admits pupils based on academic selection. It is the largest grammar school in Europe. The Latin motto of the school is "Deus Nobiscum" (God is with us).

[edit] List of Head Teachers

  • William Arthur
  • Henry R Parker
  • Henry McIntosh (c1890-1912)
  • Ernest Isaac Lewis (1912-1917) chemistry scholar and educationalist who devised the 'Bridge' course to introduce senior public school pupils to industry (Source: University of Warwick, Modern Records Centre)
  • John W Henderson (1917-c1940)
  • John Falconer (c1940-1947)
  • Rev Albert Ball (1947-1960)
  • Dr Stanley Worral (1960–1974). Headmaster from the early 1960s until 1974 was Stanley Worral. The Worral Sixth Form Centre was built in the modernist architectural style and was named in his honour. A vorticist mural was painted on one interior wall of the centre's "rec floor". Mr Worral left to pursue his interest in the ecumenical movement.
  • Dr James Kincade (1974–1988). James Kincade was headmaster from 1974 until his retirement in 1988. Kincade was also on the Board of Governors of BBC Northern Ireland, including a term as Chairman. He was often referred by pupils by his nickname, "Kinky".
  • Dr Wilfred Mulryne (1988–2005). Wilfred Mulryne was a lay preacher, former pupil and teacher. He introduced a more disciplinarian approach.
  • Cecilia Galloway (2005–2006). Former headmistress of the Royal Latin School in Buckinghamshire, succeeded Wilfrid Mulryne at Christmas 2005. She is the first headmistress in the School's history. In 2006 Galloway's management style was criticised. Staff claimed she was abrupt, frequently berated them and had increased their workloads, comparing her to Alan Sugar. She denied the claims, stating that her style was "democratic, transparent and straight-talking".[1].

On October 20th 2006 Galloway announced that she was resigning from Methody citing personal problems, such as "problems with buying and selling property and the management of her husband's business interests."[2] She is due to officially leave her post on 31st October.

[edit] Recent achievements

In recent years various societies have been very successful in the school. In 1998 and 2002, the Senior Girls Choir won the Sainsbury's Choir of the Year, the first choir to win the competition in two successive tries. The Chapel Choir won the Songs of Praise School Choir of the Year and the UTV School Choir of the Year in 2004. They were subsequently asked to sing at services in Westminster Abbey in August of 2004, and in 2005 performed with the Vienna Boy's Choir, in Vienna, Austria. Both of these choirs are led by Ruth McCartney MBE, the head of music in Methody.

The Model United Nations Society within the college is rated highly on a national and international front. The college has won many prizes at the Bath International Schools Model United Nations Conference and in 2003, a delegation of students went to Yale University, New Haven, to attend the Yale Model United Nations Conference. They won the overall best delegation award representing the United Kingdom. In 2005, a further delegation attended the Georgetown International Model United Nations Conference, in Washington DC again winning many awards. The College also hosts its own Model United Nations Conference annually, with guest speakers including Nobel Prize winner, John Hume.

Sport has always been strong within the College, especially rugby. MCB were the recent winners of the Ulster Medallion Shield and have won the Ulster Schools Cup 30 times, being the current holders of the cup, beating Campbell College in the 2006 final at Ravenhill.

The school will shortly undertake extensive rebuilding works over a number of years. Essentially the whole school is being rebuilt save the Main Building, McArthur Hall, The Chapel of Unity and the Sports Hall. This will be the biggest building program attempted since the school's foundation in 1865.

[edit] Methodist College Chess Club

Methodist College Chess Club was set up by Brian Thorpe and Arthur Willans in 1961 and has long been regarded as one of the best school chess clubs in Ireland. After Brian Thorpe's retirement in 1994, Dr Graham Murphy took over and presided over victory in both the Irish Colleges Chess Championship and the prestigious British Schools Chess Championship(sponsored at that time by The Times newspaper). In addition to the outright victory in the British Schools Chess Championship in 1995, the College finished 3rd in 1970 and 1979, and 4th in 1986 and 1997. The British Schools Championship Plate Competition for runners-up of the zonal heats was won in 1994, the first year the Plate competition was held. Methody won the inaugural Irish College's Championship in 1980, the first of several wins. The Ulster Schools Division One title has been won on many occasions.

The most distinguished former member is International Master Brian Kelly, who occupied Board 1 in the successful 1995 team. Kelly also won a Gold Medal at the Chess Olympiad in Moscow in 1994 playing at Board 5. Past pupils Brian Kerr, Tom Clarke, Angela Corry and Roger Beckett have also represented Ireland at Chess Olympiads.

The Ulster Chess Championship has also been won by Methody alumni on 11 occasions, although only John Nicholson(1971,73), Paul Hadden(1975), and Brian Kelly(1994) won whilst still at school. Brian Kelly is the only Methody alumnus to have won the Irish Chess Championship, his win coming in 1995.

[edit] MCB Astronomy

Astronomy is a growing subject in Methody, with two divisions of the Astronomy Club. It regularly takes people through the Edexel GCSE in Astronomy, and has so far attained a 100% pass rate. Notably, the subject attracts many young entrants, the youngest being in 2nd form (13 years at time of exam, and 4th form (14 years at time of exam). The course is taught over a period of one academic year by Dr Graham Murphy (same as chess club), and makes use of the Faulkes Telescopes. A less formal club is also run at lunchtimes, in which pupils can watch videos, talk about current issues and the night sky and prepare projects for science fairs. The club has made observations with the Faulkes Telescope North.

Notable events include:

  • Participation in Seagate Young Investigators Science Fair
  • Observations with Faulkes Telescope North

[edit] Notable alumni

[edit] References

  1. ^ Sunday Life
  2. ^ Ulster Television

[edit] External links

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