Methodist College Belfast

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Methodist College Belfast

Image:MCB6424.jpg
Address 1 Malone Road
Belfast
BT9 6BY
Phone (+ 44 28) 90 20 52 05
Email development@methody.org
Location Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK
Head Teacher Mrs M P White (Acting)
School type Voluntary Grammar
Colours Navy, White.
Facilities Pirrie Park

Deramore Park
MCB Boat House
School Board BELB
Enrollment 1850 students
School colours Navy, White.
Founded 1865
Motto Deus Nobiscum
Affiliation Belfast Harlequins

Methodist College Belfast is a voluntary grammar school in Belfast, Northern Ireland. At present the Grammar School has 1,850 pupils, aged 11 – 19, making it one of the largest schools in Belfast. Located at the foot of Malone Road, in South Belfast, it possesses two preparatory departments (Downey House and Fullerton House), each with 280 pupils, aged 5 – 11. The College also has the largest Boarding Department in Northern Ireland with 142 boarders, in two boarding departments — School House (110 boys) and McArthur Hall (70 girls). The College employs 155 teachers and 99 educational support staff. Although originally founded by the Methodist Church, the school is non-denominational and features one of the broadest mixes of pupils from different communities in Northern Ireland. While the majority of the school's pupils are from a Protestant background, it also includes substantial numbers from a Roman Catholic background.[citation needed] Additionally there are pupils of Jewish and Islamic backgrounds 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.[citation needed] Past pupils of the school are known as Collegians, the school has an extensive Past Pupil organisation in the form of 'The MCB Former Pupil Association', which has several branches across the world, meeting as far as Hong Kong and Canada as well as regular alumni reunions in London and at Deramore.[citation needed] The college also has a past pupil sporting organisation in Belfast Harlequins formerly Collegians.

It is one of the eight 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.[citation needed] 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.[citation needed] As a grammar school it admits pupils based on academic selection. It is the largest grammar school in Europe.[citation needed] The Latin motto of the school is "Deus Nobiscum" (God is with us).

School Crest Window.
School Crest Window.
Maltese Cross Window.
Maltese Cross Window.

[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 (1917-1943)
  • John Falconer (1943-1948)
  • Rev Albert Ball (1948-1960)
  • Dr Stanley Worral (1961–1974). 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".[citation needed]
  • Dr Wilfred Mulryne OBE (1988–2005). Wilfred Mulryne was a lay preacher, former pupil and teacher. He introduced a more disciplinarian approach.[citation needed]. In 1998 Dr Mulryne was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Education by the University of Ulster. Shortly after his retirement in 2005, he was awarded the Allianz Award for Services to Education in Ireland, along with a Distinction Award from the Belfast Institute of Further and Higher Education.[1]
  • Cecilia Galloway (2005–2006). Former headmistress of the Royal Latin School in Buckinghamshire, succeeded Wilfrid Mulryne at Christmas 2005. She was 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. On October 20 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 officially left her post on 31 October 2006.
  • Mrs M P White (Acting) (2006-2007). Following Mrs Galloway's departure, Mrs White assumed acting headship. Formerly a modern languages teacher.
  • Mr. S. Naismith (2007-). Appointed by the Board of Governors in March 2007, formerly of Regent House Grammar School, Newtownards. He will assume office in the summer of 2007.[3]

[edit] Recent achievements

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 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.

There is a Model United Nations Society within the college[citation needed]. The college has won 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.

The Methodist College Boat House, River Lagan.
The Methodist College Boat House, River Lagan.

In rugby, MCB were winners of the Ulster Medallion Shield in 2007, retaining the trophy for the third consecutive year.

In 2005 a new boathouse costing £600,000, was opened on the banks of the River Lagan.

[edit] Future Plans

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.

[edit] Fullerton House

There has been a Preparatory Department in the main buildings of the College since it opened in 1868. The present building was opened in 1975 at the Lisburn Road end of the Methodist College campus. The first position however, was in the vestibule of 11 College Gardens, Belfast.

[edit] Downey House

Downey House was opened in 1933 following the purchase of Pirrie Park, from Harland and Wolff, as the College playing fields. The existing buildings were modernised and extended. It was founded by William Fullerton and named after John Downey.

[edit] Chess Club

Methodist College Chess Club was set up by Brian Thorpe and Arthur Willans in 1960.[4] 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 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 1976[citation needed], the first of several wins. The Ulster Schools Division One title has been won on many occasions.[citation needed]

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.[5] 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] Astronomy

Astronomy is a growing subject in Methody, with two divisions of the Astronomy Club.[citation needed] It regularly takes people through the Edexcel GCSE in Astronomy, and has so far attained a 100% pass rate.[citation needed] 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, and makes use of the Faulkes Telescopes. A less formal club is occasionally run at lunchtimes, in which pupils can watch videos, talk about current issues, such as light pollution, 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] Rugby Club

The David Wells pavillion at Pirrie Park.
The David Wells pavillion at Pirrie Park.

The school rugby teams have won the Ulster Schools Cup 30 times, more than any other school,[6][7] and Medallion Shield a record 33 times. The college owns its own rugby pitches at Pirrie Park. An extensive redevelopment plan is planned for 2010, including a new pavilion to be named after former PE teacher David Wells.[8]

In 2007 Methody Medallion team beat Regent House 15-10 at Ravenhill to win the Medallion Shield,[9] but the 1st XV lost to R.B.A.I. in the semi-finals of the Schools Cup.

[edit] Hockey Club

The Methody Hockey Pitch at Belfast Harlequins.
The Methody Hockey Pitch at Belfast Harlequins.
Boys Hockey training at Deramore.
Boys Hockey training at Deramore.

The school has played hockey since the 1890s. One of the earliest matches was when a Collegians ladies team beat the schoolgirls 4-0 in 1896.[10]

The girl's club celebrated its centenary in 1996 with a series of special matches. MCB is one of a few schools in Northern Ireland that possesses its own artificial turf pitch, located at Belfast Harlequins on the Malone Road.[citation needed]

In January 2007, Boys 1st XI player Douglas Montgomery was selected to represent the school on behalf of Belfast Harlequins, to meet the President of the Republic of Ireland, Mary McAleese in Pheonix Park, Dublin, along with six other members of the hockey club in connection with their cross community work at Deramore.

Alan Green of BBC Radio 5live fame was one of the most famous players, off the field, that the school ever produced. Full international players include Ian Kirk-Smith, Gregg Sterritt, Andrew McBride (for Scotland as a "forgotten exile"), Neil Dunlop and Norman Crawford. Many pupils have represented Ulster at Junior and under age levels. However the most recent success was the boys Burney Cup win in 1999, when the Cup was presented to the team by Ulster Branch president and ex pupil Peter Wood. Peter Wood is the most recent MCB old boy to serve as President of the Ulster Branch of the Ulster Hockey Union.[citation needed]

In 2006 the Boys 1st XI was held to a 1-1 draw against Sullivan Upper in the Peter King Cup and the Cup was shared. The Girls 1st XI beat Wallace High 2-0 in the final of the Senior Schools Plate competition. Helen Stevenson was selected for the Ulster and Irish U18 team.

The girls have not won the Senior Schoolgirls Cup competition since 1988 (when it beat Friends 2-0). The school has the most wins in the history of the Cup, however most of the success came prior to World War 2.


[edit] Notable alumni

Academic

Sports

Politics

Lifestyle

Music

Religion

  • Robin Eames, was the Anglican Primate of All Ireland and Archbishop of Armagh from 1986 to 2006.

[edit] References

  1. ^ University of Ulster Governance Services Council Member Biographies. Retrieved on March 17, 2007.
  2. ^ UTV Live. Retrieved on March 17, 2007.
  3. ^ Board of Governors - Announcement of Appointment. Retrieved on March 19, 2007.
  4. ^ Ireland's Saturday Night Chess Columns by "Caro Kann" 08/10/1960 Page 5 and 24/12/1960 Page 7
  5. ^ Ulster Chess Chronicle player profiles - contains details on the players. Retrieved on March 20, 2007.
  6. ^ BBC 2006 Rugby Schools Cup Final Report including Winners Table. Retrieved on March 17, 2007.
  7. ^ BBC - Schools Cup - List of Finalists. Retrieved on March 17, 2007.
  8. ^ Belfast Telegraph report of new pavillion. Retrieved on March 19, 2007.
  9. ^ Ulster Rugby Medallion Shield match report. Retrieved on March 17, 2007.
  10. ^ Belfast Newsletter 22/10/1896 Page 3
  11. ^ "Irish Writers Centre - Biography";"Writing from the North - Biography"

[edit] External links

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