Visit from Education Minister Peter Weir

The Staff and Pupils at Larne High School were delighted to welcome the Education Minister Peter Weir to the school on Wednesday 30 September. The school were especially pleased to welcome Minister Weir given the focus he has placed on addressing Educational Underachievement. One of the biggest challenges faced by the non-selective sector is to overcome the burden of socio-economic disadvantage and to instil in pupils from a wide range of backgrounds a sense of ambition and self-belief.

Larne High School has developed some key initiatives to address underachievement at all stages of a pupil’s school career. In 2017 the school piloted a programme of nurture provision for pupils in Key Stage 3 and has now extended this provision to learners in Key Stage 4 who need additional support to achieve 5 good GCSE passes. The school has also developed projects beyond the classroom to allow KS4 pupils to extend their vocational skills and experience. Year 12 pupils showed the Minister how they have developed an outdoor garden to be used by senior pupils and demonstrated their carpentry skills.

As well as provision at KS3&4 the school has expanded its Sixth Form curriculum significantly. Mr Weir visited the School of Engineering which offers BTEC Level 3 Engineering up to Extended Diploma level. Similar provision is available in Music, Child Care, Travel and Tourism and Sports Studies. Pupils in the school’s Football Academy were involved in a strength and conditioning session and two past pupils spoke of their experience in the Sixth Form – both are now employees of the school.

In September 2019 Larne High School inaugurated its Army Cadet Force. The cadets were on parade for the first time since the lockdown and told the Minister of the opportunities that CCF gives them beyond the classroom. An area of the school has been refurbished for Cadets and once more normal times return funding is available for skills development, trips abroad and training weekends at Ballykinler Army Base.

Despite the challenges faced by the education sector in current times, the school demonstrated to the Minister that much can be achieved to engage young people in learning and skills development, and to create opportunities for young people from more disadvantaged backgrounds to have success in a wide range of areas.