Welcome to St. Patrick's

Welcome to St Patrick’s Grammar School. We are a school community of over 700 students and 75 staff set in the county town of Downpatrick, Northern Ireland. The school is situated in a pleasant residential area overlooking the town. It enjoys a high reputation locally and nationally as a Lasallian school with an enviable academic record consequent upon inspirational teaching and top quality pastoral care. We also consider ourselves to be in the vanguard of schools developing self-evaluation strategies and applying innovative approaches to teaching and learning. Year 8 pupils tree planting Our students join us in Year 8 from all over East Down and the overwhelming majority ultimately progress to take up places at the better universities, both at home and abroad. Our alumni have gone on to play leading roles in the arts and sciences, in business, in politics and in the professions around the world. Our GCSE and A level results show us to be one of the most successful boys' schools in the country. We admit girls into the Sixth Form and their results are equally impressive. We enjoy a reputation for humanity and strive to maintain high quality relationships between staff and students at all levels of the school. Pastoral care is given a high profile and is backed up by professional agencies, aiming both to bring about effective learning and to support the emotional and spiritual development of all our students. The result of this is a caring and happy community, offering leadership and team based opportunities to all our students. Our curriculum is designed to put learning firmly at the centre of all that we do and the academic staff have used their expertise to produce a set of standards for high quality, effective teaching to which they all adhere. We offer a wide and varied curriculum, tailored to the needs of our students. We have embraced the ‘revised’ curriculum and described by the Council for Curriculum and Assessment (CCEA). St Patrick’s remains confident that our strengths range across the wide variety of disciplines that we offer, from Journalism and Engineering to Economics and Music. The high qualifications of the teaching staff and their commitment to professional development and further academic study, as well as the impressive work of the support staff, mean that standards are maintained at a very high level. So what of the future?  We consider closely the world that we are ultimately preparing our students for and the skills they will need to live and survive in that world. The twenty-first century will provide many challenges for young people. Our aim is to shape lifelong learners, critical and innovative thinkers who will thrive in the acceptance of those challenges and whose moral integrity will enable them to determine a better world for all.

Attendance

On the day of return from an absence, a student must present to the Form Teacher a note giving a reason for the absence. This note must be written, dated and signed by the parent or guardian. Doctor appointments, optical or dental appointments should be scheduled outside of school time.

Students are required to make arrangements to complete work missed due to their absence from class.

Family holidays should not be planned during school time. Ample time is provided in the school calendar for such planning. The school very strongly insists that parents follow this directive when organising family trips and outings. Each pupil’s attendance will be monitored regularly. If a student’s attendance drops below 95% over any term his/her parents shall be contacted. If attendance continues to be a cause for concern the pupil will be referred to the school’s Education Welfare Officer.

Students with an unsatisfactory attendance record will have their position in the school reviewed.

Students may only leave school during the day when they provide a written request from a parent. Before leaving they should:

• inform their Form Teacher and Year Teacher before morning registration;
• inform the subject teacher(s) whose classes they will miss;
• report to Reception to sign out (and on return to sign in).

Behaviour

Students are expected to treat each other and all property with respect and consideration. We should avoid doing or saying anything that causes hurt. Fighting with another student will result in suspension from school.

Buses

Students using any bus to or from school are expected to conduct themselves correctly and behave courteously. Loud or rough conduct is not tolerated. Bus prefects are appointed and their role is to ensure that the rules of good behaviour and conduct are observed. Students are expected to comply with the reasonable requests of the prefects. Misbehaviour of any kind is reported to the Vice Principals and will be met with strict disciplinary action. Translink may withdraw a bus pass in the event of bad behaviour; in this event the student is liable to pay fares.

If a student loses a bus pass and wishes to obtain a duplicate he/she should fill in a Translink Interim Educational Ticket slip (available at Reception). The slip is in three parts. The completion of the Blue part of this slip permits the student to travel for five weekdays. The White part of the slip should be completed by the student and sent to Translink headquarters so that a duplicate pass can be issued. A passport size photograph and a fee of £20 are required for a duplicate pass. A student who locates his/her original bus pass and returns it to Translink will receive a £15 refund. The Green part of the slip is left at the school Reception desk.

When using the school minibuses students are expected to follow the normal school rules of cleanliness and behaviour and the wearing of seat belts is compulsory. Any abuse of or damage to a bus will have to be made good or paid for by those causing the damage.

Library

The Library is open each school day from 8.30 a.m. until 4.30 p.m. It is for quiet and silent study and research, and all are expected to respect the needs of others in this respect.

The directions and instructions issued by the Librarian - written or verbal - should be followed at all times. Students have access to the Library before, after school, and at break times. Homework must never be done before or during the school day in the library. Students may join the Homework Club in the Library between 3.20 and 4.30pm . each school day.

Most of the 12,000 plus books may be borrowed for two weeks. Videos are borrowed for one week. Reference books are issued on an overnight basis and must be returned before form class the following day.

After three reminders for overdue books letters are sent to a pupil’s parents. Lost books must be paid for in order that replacements may be purchased. Pupils who do not co-operate in returning books will forfeit access to the library and its facilities.

New students are issued with a library card which lasts them throughout their time in the school. Loss of this card must be reported to the Librarian immediately and a charge for replacement will be made. Students in Years 8-12 may borrow up to five items at a time, provided that no item already borrowed is overdue.

All of the stock purchased has been selected by the Librarian with the assistance of the teaching staff. Students should feel free to put forward their own suggestions for items they would like to see in the Library. The Library also provides extensive CD-ROM and Internet access. This should be used purely for school work and each session should be fully logged in the appropriate book at the Issue Desk. Year 14 students are expected to use the Library for non-classwork in preference to the Miguel

Centre. During such study periods students are expected to arrive promptly, sit one to a table and remain there until the end of the period. Students in Years 13-14 may borrow up to ten items at a time provided that no item already borrowed is overdue.

School Uniform

Uniform is worn in school, going to and from school and on all school related occasions unless the Vice Principals permit otherwise. The full school uniform is checked by the Form Teacher each morning. Suppliers of the school uniform are:  Name  Proprietor  Location  Annetts  D. Annett  Newcastle  JJ Donnelly  S.Donnelly (Girls)  Downpatrick  JJ Donnelly  B.Rodgers (Boys)  Downpatrick  Minders  Liam Smyth  Downpatrick  Rhoda Stewart  Rhoda Stewart  Ballynahinch  PE and Sports Clothing: Indoor shoes, football boots, football jerseys (in house colours), white shorts, school socks (maroon and gold) and swimming shorts. A track suit, while not compulsory, is recommended in colder weather. Football jerseys in house colours, and school football socks can be purchased in the school in September.  Boys Uniform Girls Uniform  School Fleece School Fleece School blazer with crest School blazer with crest School jumper School jumper White school shirt White school shirt/blouse School TieB School Tie black school trousers Charcoal grey knee length A-line skirt Black or dark grey socks Grey knee length socks or plain black tights Plain black leather shoes (no buckles) Plain black leather shoes (no buckles with heels no more than 2½ cm in height) School scarf (optional) School scarf (optional) Students may wear a plain black hat and plain black gloves when travelling to and from school. All students must wear a blazer coming to and going from school. Fleeces may not be worn in class. Only school fleeces may be worn over blazers.   Inappropriate hairstyles, including braids, are not permitted. Boys’ hair must be not longer than collar length nor shorter than a No 2 cut all over. Boys must be clean shaven.   Boys and girls may wear one plain finger ring. Girls may wear a plain stud in each ear.   Any item of clothing or jewellery worn in contravention of school uniform regulations is liable to confiscation.   All Y13 and Y14 students must wear the Senior School tie.   The school authorities reserve the right to determine the acceptable standards of uniform, dress and appearance of students attending St Patrick's Grammar School.  Only solid white vests are worn underneath the shirt. The Pioneer pin, the Life symbol, Prefect badge and the Fáinne are the only emblems or badges permissible on the uniform. Black shoes must be worn going to and from school. Breaches of the dress code will result in disciplinary action.