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Prospectus2620
Aimee MallonJunior Head Girl Dear prospective pupil, We are so excited that you are considering St. Cecilia’s College as your next school. We remember how daunting this decision can be so we want to let you know why we think that St. Cecilia’s College might just be the right school for you! • Everyone is so friendly and helpful. As a new Year 8 the whole school will look after you and make you feel at home. Our teachers are encouraging, and our pupils will do their best to help you to settle in! • Our ethos ensures that we all aim to achieve our best! We are encouraged to reach our full potential academically and we are also encouraged to try new subjects, take on new opportunities and really immerse ourselves in the school community. • Pupil voice is very important in our school. Our student council acts on our behalf and work with our teachers to bring about changes that we feel will be of benet to our pupils. As a result of this, we were the rst girls school to introduce trousers as part of our uniform. • Our success is celebrated! Our community loves to celebrate our aspirations and achievements both inside and outside the classroom. As well as academic opportunities, we are given the tools to be creative, to work with others, to lead and to deepen our talents or develop new ones. Whether this is on the sports eld or in the creative arts – there really is something for everyone in our unique school community. “The pupil-centred vision focuses on the pupils’ hopes and ambitions for achieving their best, celebrating their success, and developing them to be life-long learners”ETI Inspection report. June 2024.Mia McDaidSenior Head Girl
We hope our Prospectus, website and social media platforms provide you with the information you need as you consider your child’s next steps. If you would like further guidance or have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us or visit our website. Yours faithfullyMJ O’Carolan (Mrs)PrincipalDear Parent/CarerA very warm welcome to St. Cecilia’s College.Thank you for taking the time to explore our Prospectus. We hope it gives you a meaningful insight into the vibrant, caring, and high-achieving community that denes our school. Choosing a post-primary school is a signicant decision, and we are proud to oer an environment where children ourish academically, socially, and personally.St. Cecilia’s College is a joyful and inclusive school, where every pupil is encouraged to Aspire, Endeavour, and Achieve. As Principal, it is my privilege to lead a dedicated team of sta who work tirelessly to support our pupils in becoming condent, resilient, and successful young people, ready to embrace future opportunities in education and employment.As a Catholic school, our mission is rooted in faith and values. We nurture each pupil’s sense of self-belief and purpose, fostering respectful relationships and a positive school culture. Our strong pastoral care system ensures that every child feels supported and valued throughout their journey with us.We set high expectations for all our pupils, and year after year, our exceptional academic results reect this commitment. We are proud to consistently perform well above the Northern Ireland average for similar schools and our recent inspection report is a testament to every good thing in St. Cecilia’s College. Our teachers are passionate, highly qualied, and deeply committed to inspiring excellence in every classroom. Welcome
Delivering high quality teaching and learning is at the forefront of everything we do as a school community. Approaches to assessment are consistent across the school with pupils’ progress rigorously monitored and reported on at four key points in the school year. Pupils have access to academic and vocational pathways that are tailored to suit their individual abilities and interests.St. Cecilia’s College is at the forefront of curriculum development, working with business, industry and other educational Celebrating Successestablishments to ensure we provide quality courses that meet the needs of a modern, progressive society. Pupils aspire to careers, professions and occupations that are the result of quality provision and experiences. St. Cecilia’s College pupils are inspired to see endless possibilities for self-development, and they are always encouraged to be the very best that they can be.St. Cecilia’s College continues to inspire, through our ethos, the highest possible achievements for all our pupils.Aspir Endeavour Achiev
What is most pleasing is the very high percentage of students across the board in every subject and at every level who surpassed their personal target grades.Education Training Inspectorate Report, June 2024The pupils’ successes across and beyond the school are well embedded and celebrated creatively.Outstanding Success in ExaminationsOur most recent examination season saw an incredible 99.19% of our Year 12 students achieving 5 or more A* - C grades at GCSE level.
St. Cecilia’s College is a dynamic and vibrant learning community. Our Catholic ethos permeates all aspects of school life; making St. Cecilia’s College a focused, caring, and happy community in which all of our pupils can ourish. We value every member of our community, recognising the dignity and unique nature of each individual. In this way the presence of Christ is celebrated.St Cecilia’s College is also a kind and caring environment for young people. Respect for others underpins all our dealings with one another. Our aim is to create an environment where everyone aspires to achieve. Our pupils get opportunities to stretch and challenge themselves in a safe, stimulating way. A Child Centred schoolWe understand that this looks and feels dierent for every child and that’s why our child-centred, inclusive approach is so successful.At St. Cecilia’s College we believe that every pupil should have the best possible learning opportunities and we therefore promote inclusive practice. We recognise that all of our pupils are dierent and have individual needs. We take strategic action to support and encourage our pupils within a nurturing environment.
Our Learning Support Coordinator and his team work closely with sta, pupils and parents to provide additional support where it is needed. We enable all pupils to participate fully in a varied curriculum which responds to a wide range of individual talents. We work closely with parents and other agencies to monitor pupil progress carefully, providing eective additional support to meet our pupils’ needs: • Pupils identied with dyslexic tendencies are oered bespoke one-to-one support with one of our qualied Dyslexic Tutors. • Our Homework Club operates four afternoons per week. The Homework Club aords pupils the opportunity to complete homework, access school resources, complete assignments and revise for exams.“Every child is unique and so is the way we work”DyslexiaFriendly
St. Cecilia’s College is a happy place, where respect for others underpins all our dealings with one another. Our aim is to create an environment where every child feels safe and where everyone can succeed. The welfare of our students is our highest priority.Form TeacherYou and your child will develop close links with their Form Teacher. You can rely on the dedicated and caring support of your child’s Form Teacher to comfort, challenge and motivate them through their life at St. Cecilia’s College.The Head of YearThe Head of Year’s main role is to ensure the welfare of the children within their year group. They will guide the academic, social and emotional progress of all the students in their care.Designated TeachersEvery pupil’s safety is paramount at St. Cecilia’s College. You and your child will be made aware of the role of the Child Protection Ocer, the deputies and how they can be contacted for support.CounsellorWe have a professional counselling service available one day a week for pupils in need of extra support. Pupils can refer themselves or be referred by a parent or member of sta. We benet from having a full time, fully qualied, CBT practitioner on our sta. CommunityOne of the most important relationships the school has is with parents and carers. A parent’s aspirations for their child will have a signicant impact on their success. This means encouraging full attendance, communicating with the school, and working with us to ensure the best outcomes possible.We best educate our young people as a community and we value the strong partnerships we have with our families and local organisations.A Child Centred schoolFurthermore we have a Refresh Champion who also completes one-to-one support with pupils.Guardian AngelEach Year 8 pupil has their own Guardian Angel. This is a Sixth Year pupil committed to helping their ‘St. Cecilia’s College little sister’ settle in and nd their feet in our new school.Addressing Bullying Type Behaviours in SchoolAt St. Cecilia’s College we have a comprehensive policy for dealing with bullying type behaviours. This has been recently updated after consultation with pupils, parents, sta, and the Education Authority. Reports of bullying type behaviour are dealt with quickly, sensitively and in a professional and caring way.We pride ourselves on being a caring school.
Aligning with the School’s vision of Aspire, Endeavour, Achieve’, the pupils’ holistic development, including their emotional health and wellbeing, is supported well in an inclusive, supportive and stimulating learning environment. Education Training Inspectorate Report, June 2024
St. Cecilia’s College is a caring, inclusive school rooted in local parish communities. We are committed to the development of the whole person and believe personal relationships help establish an aspiring community of pupils with condence which stems from self-belief, a Catholic conviction and personal success. Our College cares for young people in a way that encourages them to develop to their full potential within a supportive Christian community. We seek to prepare our pupils to play an active and responsible role in society, and to use their talents for the service of others.Our faith and worship are an essential part of daily life within the college. Our day begins with morning prayer at assembly. Signicant events are marked with communal prayer and events such as our annual Carol Service, which is enjoyed by our whole community. We celebrate the start of our academic year with a mass attended by the whole school.We nish our school year with a celebratory Mass for both our Year 12 and Year 14 pupils and parents. Here we pray for their future success and well-being, regardless of the pathway they choose. Our leavers’ mass is a highlight of the school year for many!A school of faithThe primary aims of St. Cecilia’s College are:• to develop the whole person as a follower of Christ.• to exist as an extension of the Catholic home.• to create a believing community committed to the Christian Way of Life. • to promote justice in all areas of College life.• to prepare the individual to live in a changing social, political, cultural and technological environment.A Catholic School
At St. Cecilia’s College we are continually striving to improve all aspects of provision for our pupils.Our Learning and Teaching team regularly review our curricular provision to ensure maximum opportunities for success.Gifted and talented pupils are stretched in school and provided other opportunities for challenge. With the continued success of our Brilliant Club, our junior school pupils work on projects with PHD students from Queen’s University, Belfast. The programme culminates with a graduation ceremony giving our KS3 pupils the chance to experience university life! We place great importance on Target Setting, allowing pupils to track their progress, set personal goals and take responsibility for their learning pathways. All pupils record and monitor their assessment achievements, creating a culture of aspiration throughout the school. This helps pupils make the important connection between hard work and success!Continuous ImprovementAspire+Endeavour=Achieve
The school’s proactive development of a community of learning is improving the pupils’ outcomes through empowering sta as learning leaders.DYSLEXIA AWARENESSRAISING STANDARDS FOR ALL THROUGH ADAPTIVE LEARNINGTRAUMA INFORMED PRACTICEADDRESSING BULLYING TYPEBEHAVIOUR IN SCHOOLSEducation Training Inspectorate Report, June 2024
OUR HOUSE SYSTEMtogether we make a difference
The aim of the House System is to further build on the eective relationships across the school and to have each pupil be part of a ‘House Family’.Every pupil is placed with their Form Teacher in one of ve Houses; Courage, Faith, Grace, Hope and Peace. Houses are identiable by their ties, and each house competes each term to collect the most house points to win a treat for the entire house. Treats could include a house breakfast or a movie afternoon. Points are awarded for kindness, good deeds, manners, participation in after school activities and for representing the school.You did not pick the names of local townlands or of colours. Instead you picked Faith, Courage, Peace, Grace and Hope. at speaks of the values and ideals that the school wants to hand on to its young people. In a world of very agile heroes, you inite them to dream of doing beautiful things with their lives and you oer them the ocabulary which will support them in that.Bishop Donal McKeownCreating Community
We prepare our pupils for life beyond the classroom and extra-curricular activities are a vital aspect of the St. Cecilia’s College experience! We have a range of lunchtime and after school clubs to try, your new talent is waiting to be discovered!All pupils also receive their own Target Setting book to allow them to record and track their assessment achievements. We encourage pupils to take responsibility for their own learning pathways and improvement. By doing so they begin to make the all important connections between hard work and success!At St. Cecilia’s College, we provide a wide range of activities and services during and beyond the school day to help meet the needs of our pupils, their families and the wider community. Free transport home is provided for pupils who attend after school programmes.St. Cecilia’s College pupils learn and achieve so much outside the classroom. They learn to compete, win well, accept defeat, follow rules, treat others fairly and respect decisions made by ocials. All pupils in St. Cecilia’s College have the opportunity to improve their level of tness and skill in a range of activities including Netball, Cross Country, Athletics, Swimming, Aquathon, Soccer and Cheerleading. Pupils develop resilience through sport.• Art• Athletics• Camogie• Cheer Club• Choir• Coding Club• Creative Writing• Crochet Club• Cross Country• Dance Club• Drama• Drumming• Enterprise Club• Environmental Club• Football• Gaelic Football• Guitar• Lego Club• Maths• Netball• Orchestra• Peer Mentoring• Piano• Public Speaking• Reading Club• School Magazine• School of Rock• Science• Singing lessons• SistersIN• Student Council• Sewing Club• Soil Club• Soul Sisters• Street Dance• Study Centre• Technology• Textiles• Traditional Irish Music• Triathlon• Ukelele• Young EnterpriseHere are some of the opportunities normally available at St. Cecilia’s College:Condence outside the Classroom
All of our teachers love to be creative! This is evident in the delivery of their subject content and also in the work they do to support pupils holistically. We know that happy pupils are more likely to work hard and achieve success! Creative SchoolSt. Cecilia’s College was named after the patron saint of music and creativity is in our blood!
Our ‘Aspire, Endeavour and Achieve’ Awards allow each pupil in the school community to experience success on a monthly basis.In addition to acknowledging our pupils’ creativity and sporting achievments, we also celebrate their academic success in external examinations every year through our annual prizegiving ceremony. Celebrating SuccessAward What it celebratesAspire Recognising Excellence in Attendance to Support LearningEndeavour Celebrating Eort and Resilience in LearningAchieve Rewarding Excellence in LearningHouse Award – personal Selected from full house cardsHouse Award – whole house House with most points that month/yearPupil of the month Subject specic recognition for eort and/or excellentTea with the Principal Recognition of excellence or achievement at a school levelPrizegiving Awards Overall recognition for the form class, subject or year group
During the application procedure when applying the Admissions Criteria, punctual applications will be considered before late applications are considered. The application procedure opens on 27 January 2026 at 12 noon (GMT) and an application submitted by the closing date of 19 February 2026 at 12 noon (GMT) will be treated as a punctual application. An application received after 12 noon (GMT) on 19 February 2026 and up to 4pm (GMT) on 24 February 2026 will be treated as a late application. As currently required by the law, priority will be given to applicants presently resident in Northern Ireland, before applicants who presently reside elsewhere. In the event of over-subscription, the following Admissions Criteria, which was drawn up by the Board of Governors of St Cecilia’s College, will be applied in the order set down, to select applicants for Year 8 entry in 2026/2027.1 Applicants whose sister(s), half-sister(s), stepsister(s) or foster sister(s) are presently or were formerly enrolled at the school and who have chosen St Cecilia’s College as their rst preference school. Please note that for criterion 1 you are required to provide in the Admissions Criteria Notes section of your online/written application the full name and date of birth of the sister(s) or equivalent (as dened above) whether referring to a present or past pupil(s). If the sister(s) or equivalent is currently at St Cecilia’s College, you are asked to indicate “yes” at the “Sister at School” option.2 Applicants who presently reside in the following parishes (in no particular order) who have chosen St Cecilia’s College as their rst preference school. • Ardmore• Claudy (Cumber Upper & Learmount)• Culmore• Faughanvale and Lower Cumber• Glendermott/Waterside: (St. Columb’s-Chapel Road, Immaculate Conception-Trench Road, St Mary’s- Newbuildings)• Holy Family (Ballymagroarty)• Our Lady of Lourdes (Steelstown)• St Mary’s (Creggan)• Strathfoyle: StrathFoyle/Enagh Lough• Templemore (St Eugene’s, St Columba’s, Long Tower)• Three Patrons (St Patrick’s- Pennyburn, St Brigid’s - Carnhill, St Joseph’s -Galliagh) Please note that for criterion 2 you are required to provide in Admissions Criteria Notes section of your online/written application the name of the parish that the applicant presently resides in from the list provided above to validate their eligibility for this criterion. 3 Applicants presently resident in the above-named parishes (in no particular order) who have chosen St Cecilia’s College as their rst preference non-selective school.Please note that for criterion 3 you are required to provide in the Admissions Criteria Notes section of your online/written application the name(s) of the selective/grammar school(s) chosen ahead of St Cecilia’s College to validate your eligibility for this criterion. Please also provide the name of the parish the applicant presently resides in from the list above. 4 Applicants presently resident in the above named parishes (in no particular order) and who have placed at least one non-selective school ahead of St Cecilia’s College. Please note that for criterion 4 you are required to provide in the Admissions Criteria Notes section of your online / written application the name(s) of the Criteria for admissions 2026/27
non-selective school(s) chosen ahead of St Cecilia’s College to validate your eligibility for this criterion. Please also provide the name of the parish the applicant resides in. 5 Applicants who are presently resident in other parishes in Northern Ireland. Please note that for criterion 5 you are required to provide in the Admissions Criteria Notes section of your online/written application the name of the parish the applicant presently resides in.The permitted admission number for Year 8 as determined by the Department of Education for the academic year 2026/2027 is 129.In the event that the school would exceed its permitted admission number by accepting all applicants qualifying for selection using the nal criterion so required, then selection for all places remaining in this category will be on the basis of initial letter of the surname (as appears on the child’s Birth Certicate), in the order set out below:Random Letter GeneratorO, T, L, U, N, F, G, Z, C, R, M, W, X, Mac, K, S, H, B, J, Y, P, A, Ní, Mc, E, D, I, Q, V, O’The order was determined by a random selection of letters, witnessed by the Board of Governors on 04 November 2025. In the event of surnames beginning with the same initial letter, the subsequent letters of the surname will be used in alphabetical order. In the event of two identical surnames, the alphabetical order of the initials of the forenames will be used. If any of these applicants do not have a second forename, they will be placed ahead of those with a second forename. If applicants have identical surnames and forenames, they will be placed in rank order of eldest child by date of birth as stated on their birth certicate and admitted in this order. If, after this process, any applicants still tie for a nal place, the place(s) will be allocated by random computerised selection.
A School ForY U!
School PrayerAlmighty God we ask yourblessing on the pupils andteachers and all who work inthis school. May it be a centrewhere knowledge andgoodness will ourish andwhere peace will reign. Weask this through your divineSon, his blessed Mother Maryand our patron saints St. Patrick, St Columba and St. Cecilia.
028 7128 1800oce@stceciliascollegestceciliascollegederry@StCeciliasDerryBligh’s Lane,Derry,Northern Ireland,BT48 9PJwww.stceciliascollege.com