De La Salle High School

Prospectus

FIDELITAS

Welcome Note ...............................................................3

General Information ....................................................4

Timetabled Day .............................................................5

School Uniform .............................................................6

Sixth Form Provision ...................................................7

UNICEF Children’s Rights Respecting School .........................................................8

Pastoral Dimension of De La Salle Curriculum Outline .......................................................9

Homework .................................................................. 10

After School Club ...................................................... 11

GCSE Results ............................................................. 12

Comment from Head Boy & Deputy Head Boy .................................................. 12

Comments from Pupils and Parents ....................... 13

A Final Word .............................................................. 14

Recent Graduates from De La Salle High School .......................................... 15

Contents

Dear Parents/Guardians

Welcome to De La Salle High School and thank you for taking the time to find out about our School. Making the decision about which school is the right one for your child can be difficult, but

we hope that this prospectus will help you make that decision, giving you a flavour of De La Salle High School and the learning opportunities that we provide here. The staff and governors are committed to promoting Christian values and our chief aim is to provide a safe, caring, happy learning environment, full of opportunities where everyone feels valued and can achieve success.

Everything we do in De La Salle High School is centred on Our Mission Statement.

Take Care, Show Care, Teach Care … Evoke CareThis caring nature has helped develop excellent relationships between the staff and pupils and is one of the many reasons for our excellent exam results. The mutual respect between staff and pupils has been recognised by UNICEF and we became the first maintained post primary school to be awarded ‘A Children’s Rights Respecting School’.

De La Salle High School is dedicated to pursuing excellence through:

❑ A stimulating and well resourced environment ❑ Enthusiastic and energising staff ❑ The development and encouragement of everyone at the school ❑ Rising self esteem and awareness of others ❑ Encouraging respect

We encourage prospective parents to visit our school. If you would like to come and look around and witness the school in action, please phone the school office to make an appointment.

Mr B Sharvin, Principal

Welcome Note

Take Care, Show Care, Teach Care … Evoke Care

De La Salle High School36 Struell Road, Downpatrick, Co Down BT30 6JRT: 028 4461 2520 F: 028 4461 3314e: info@dls.downpatrick.ni.sch.ukwww.dlshs.org.uk

PRINCIPAL: Mr Barry SharvinCHAIR OF B.O.G. Mr Fintan McGradyOFFICE HOURS: 8.30 am to 4.30 pm

❚❚ UNIFORM GRANTS:

Application forms may be obtained from your son’s Primary School or from our School Secretary on or before June 27th during school hours.

❚❚ BUS PASSES:

These are provided for pupils living more than three miles from school and are issued on their first school day. Forms are available from the Primary school or from our school.

❚❚ SCHOOL CALENDAR:

At the end of the school year, parents will be notified of the dates of the school terms, holidays and half-term holidays. At the beginning of each term pupils and parents are also provided with a Calendar of events which will include the dates of Parent Teacher meetings. A copy of the calendar can also be found in the homework diary and on our website.

❚❚ VISITING ARRANGEMENTS:

Should you wish to see a teacher, phone in advance and make an appointment through the Secretary. On arriving at the school, call at the reception.

❚❚ PUPIL REPORTS:

School reports providing written record of pupils’ progress and attainment year by year are posted out in January and July.

General Information

❚❚ BREAKFAST:

8.10am – 8.50am in the Dining Hall.The Breakfast club also doubles up as a pastoral centre where the Head of Pastoral is available to talk to and solve problems.

❚❚ MID MORNING SNACKS:

10.50am - 11.05am in the Dining Hall

❚❚ LUNCH BREAK:

Pupils are required to take their lunch on the school premises. They may bring a packed lunch to eat in the Dining Hall or avail of the choice of meals available in the cafeteria.12.40pm - 1.15pm Years 8, 91.15pm - 1.50pm Years 10, 11, 12, 13 & 14

❚❚ ABSENCES:

Should a pupil be absent, even for half a day, the parent should inform the school on the day of absence.During the day no pupil may leave the school without permission from the Principal or Vice Principal. To get that permission a note from a parent or a dental or medical appointment card is necessary.

Timetabled Day

T he school day begins at 9.00am and ends at 3.20pm. Each school day pupils will spend the first 15 minutes of their day in their form class with their Form Teacher. During this time morning prayers are said, rolls are called and boys prepare for the day ahead. Once weekly Form Classes have Year

Assembly. Attendance is recorded for every class.

A high standard of physical cleanliness and tidy appearance is expected.Jewellery other than a wrist watch is not allowed to be worn in school.Conventional hair styles only are acceptable. For health and safety reasons hair must be kept above shoulder length. The shortest acceptable length is a grade 2.

School Uniform

A condition of attendance is the wearing of full uniform:• School blazer with school crest• School tie• White shirt• Grey pullover if required• Black or dark grey school trousers• Black Shoes (for medical reasons,

permission to wear black trainers may be given following a doctors note)

• The school overcoat (navy waterproof and fleece lined)

• P.E. gear: blue shorts, football jersey, socks, trainers, football boots

• School P.E. gear can be purchased at the school.

• In the event that your son is missing an item of uniform, please inform the principal before sending him to school.

Sixth Form Provision

After GCSE pupils move beyond the compulsory age of 16, and therefore entry to the Sixth Form of De La

Salle High School will be by invitation, issued after the publication of the GCSE results in August. The school has a Post 16 collaborative agreement with St Patrick’s Grammar and St Mary’s High school, which allows the students to have access to all the courses on offer in any of the three schools. The transition from GCSE to A Levels will bring an increase in academic rigour and will require a sustained high level of commitment and personal discipline. Along with A levels we will be offering BTEC National Awards which are equivalent to an A level.

❚❚ ENTRy CRITERIA

To enter our Sixth Form in De La Salle High School applicants must have:

[i] A minimum of 5 GCSE passes, (Grade A*-C at the time of publication of results in August, including English & Maths) or if either English or Maths grade C is not achieved then at least 15 points from their top 5 GCSE grades. A* = 5 pts, A = 4, B =3, C = 2 and D =1. The responsibility for passing English or Maths will then fall on the pupil as the school has no resit classes.

[ii] At least a Grade B at the Higher Level GCSE to continue studying a subject at AS Level.

[iii] A minimum of 90% attendance in Year 12 is required. Good punctuality will also be taken into account.

Unicef Childrens Rights

❚❚RESPECTING SCHOOL

De La Salle High School has always prided itself on its child-centred

pastoral system. In recognition of our endeavours UNICEF approached us with the concept of making De La Salle High School the first UNICEF approved catholic maintained school in Northern Ireland.The award is called the “Rights Respecting School Award” and it is a charter mark for schools who put the rights and responsibilities of pupils at the centre of their school vision. De La Salle High School

in conjunction with UNICEF, evaluated our position in relation to UNICEF criteria for achieving such an award. We then raised a whole school awareness of children’s rights and responsibilities as laid out by the United Nations Children’s Commission and in January 2011 the Minister for Education presented us with the award.We work closely with our student council giving pupils a voice on issues which concern them within the school.

The pastoral dimension of De La Salle is based upon the school’s vision for its

pupils and involves all teachers and every pupil. The school has a strong Pastoral Care system lead by our Pastoral head who meets regularly with his pastoral team of Year Heads, Form Teachers and Councillor. The team concerns itself with five main areas of need: physical, social, moral, academic and career development. Within this framework our pupils are enabled to grow by meeting them where they are, teaching them to cope with what is now and preparing them for any age in life.All our policies including our Pastoral Policy can be found on our web site www.dlshs.org.uk

❚❚PASTORAL DIMENSION OF DE LA SALLE

Curriculum Outline

In the Junior Years 8-10 the following Areas of Study shall be taught.

Religious Education EnglishScience Technology and DesignHistory MathematicsGeography DramaArt and Design MusicPhysical Education FrenchCitizenship Education for EmployabilityHome Economics Personal DevelopmentAt KS4 – Years 11-12 the following subject which comply with the prescribed areas of Study shall be taught:

Religious Education English including English LiteratureMathematics ScienceTechnology and Design HistoryGeography Art and DesignBusiness Studies Physical EducationFrench Learning for Life and WorkMedia Studies Occupational StudiesICT Motor Vehicle & Road User StudiesHospitality Engineering (BTEC 1st Cert-2 GCSE’s)Essential Skills Communication Essential Skills Application of NumberMusic Construction (BTEC 1st Cert-2 GCSE’s)

Post 16. The school has a collaborative arrangement with St. Patrick’s Grammar and St. Mary’s High School. Together the 3 schools offer a wide choice of subjects both general and applied. Please contact the school for a detailed breakdown of the A Levels on offer.

Homework

❚❚ INTRODUCTION

Homework is an essential ingredient to the overall educational experience of students and complements the work carried out during the school day.

❚❚PURPOSES OF HOMEwORK

h To continue and complete work already begun in class

h To consolidate work done in class by e.g. doing further examples

h To allow students to catch up on work missed due to absence

h To encourage students to develop regular revision of topics already covered

h To encourage students to prepare for a lesson in advance

h To encourage students to develop habits of independent study

It is the responsibility of students to ensure that homeworks are completed and presented on time and that they are of suitable standard. Subject teachers are expected to make regular checks of the homeworks they have given and indicate on the homework books that this has been done.Heads of Departments will, through their departmental policies, ensure that homeworks are assigned and corrected on a regular basis.

❚❚HOMEwORK DIARy

Each student is supplied with a Homework Diary at the start of each school year. Form teachers will carry out weekly checks to ensure that students record each homework assignment given in the diary. Students must be aware of the tasks set for homework and clearly understand what is expected of them. To assist them teachers will write the homework on the board before the end of class. If in any doubt they should ask the subject teacher for clarification before the end of the lesson.

❚❚VOLUME OF HOMEwORK

A summary of the homework policy is sent to each parent at the beginning of the year. Included in this letter will be an approximation of the minimum amount of homework for each subject.

❚❚PARENTAL INPUT

Parents are asked to ensure that students develop effective home study habits by providing a quiet area when possible where students can study without distraction. It is generally well accepted that effective study cannot take place while such devices as televisions, radios and personal stereos are switched on. Parents are encouraged to monitor homework by regularly inspecting their children’s homework diaries and the homework books. If parents have any concern about homework they may contact the student’s subject teacher or Form Teacher.

❚❚HOMEwORK SUPPORT CLUB

The homework support club is a means of support for those pupils who wish to avail of a supervised room in which to complete their homework. It is also used to change the habits of pupils who persistently miss homeworks. A homework support club is available 4 days a week.

After School Club

The After school clubs are split into academic and social Activities:

Academic Extra Curricular ActivitiesG.C.S.E. Art Year 11 Fitness SuiteG.C.S.E. Maths Gaelic FootballG.C.S.E. P.E HurlingG.C.S.E. I.T. SoccerG.C.S.E. History BasketballG.C.S.E. English Film ClubG.C.S.E. Science Table TennisG.C.S.E. Technology FishingG.C.S.E. Geography Go CartingG.C.S.E. Business StudiesG.C.S.E. Home EconomicsKS3 MathsKS3 EnglishKS3 ScienceHomework Support

Gcse Results 10/11

❚❚ REASONS FOR IMPROVEMENT IN ExAM RESULTS

h Homework action plan h Literacy Action Plan h Study skills h GCSE after school clubs h Principal interview with HoD’s re

exam analysis. Good practice shared + accountability raised profile.

h Exams given greater profile in school i.e. structured, timetabled in gym, revision sheets, study timetables.

❚❚COMMENT FROM HEAD BOy

My name is Adrian Finnegan and I hold the position of Head Boy at De La Salle High School. Throughout the years I have experienced here at De La Salle I can confidently say that the teachers are always willing to work with you and willing to help you. The Sports Facilities in De La Salle are excellent and it personally makes coming to school a lot easier for me. After completing my GCSE’s I was delighted to be offered the opportunity to continue my education here. From socialising with friends in other schools I can safely say that the relationship between pupils and staff here are like no other.

❚❚COMMENTS FROM DEPUTy HEAD BOy

My name is Liam Smyth and I am Deputy Head Boy at De La Salle High School. My time at the school has been rewarding and extremely enjoyable and I was delighted to return to continue studying A-Levels. De La Salle is a great school due to the relationships between pupils and teachers which makes education fun as well as being of a high standard. I would thoroughly recommend De La Salle High School to anyone.

71% of pupils achieved 5+ A*-C grades. That’s 11% higher than last year’s N Ireland average. And 21 % higher than last years N Ireland average for boys from non selective schools.Recent statistics from Department of Education show that in N Ireland boys now trail girls at GCSE A*-C

grades by as much as 13% but not if they attend De La Salle. The majority of the pupils who arrived at the school with a D grade in the 11+ are leaving with 8 or 9 GCSE’s at A*-C. With this in mind the Value Added in De La Salle, with its all male enrolment is even more remarkable.

h Greater choice in option blocks allowing pupils to choose subject of interest.

h Mixed ability teaching. h Policy of no withdrawals from exams. h Positive relationships between pupils and teachers. h A caring environment.

Comments

❚❚COMMENTS FROM PARENTS:

*The present Principal offers the same support and encouragement as his predecessor. The school is well managed, there is a friendly atmosphere but with strict discipline rules and procedures.*I would have no hesitation about recommending De La Salle to any parent.*David has settled into school very well. He enjoys all of his subjects and has a lot of respect for his teachers. De La Salle has an

I like De La Salle b

ecause the

teachers are ver

y helpful. De La

Salle is a really

good school

and we are a true co

mmunity.

I don't know how you would

not want to go to De

La Salle,

go on good trips.

I love De La

Salle

Eamon O'Hare Year 9

The P.E. facilities are very good in De La Salle High School and the teachers are very helpful in the school.Paul Ward Year 8

When I came to De La

Salle I felt nervous

because of the work

and making new friends

but when I got there

everything was calm

and the teachers were

friendly.Conail Holden Year 8

I enjoy coming to De La Salle every morning. I love P.E. and EnglishDiarmuid MacNabb Year 8

I enjoy every day at De La Salle. I always make new friends and learn new things.Callum Maguire Year 8

My teachers and classroom assistants are always very helpful. The school is far better than primary school because I learn different subjects. Every day I wake up I really look forward to going to school.James McCartan Year 8

excellent team of committed and talented teachers. There is a very caring environment within the school and we have found the discipline procedures to be effective and helpful.*Our son has regained so much of his confidence that was shattered as a result of the 11+ test.

I think De La Salle is a good school because the teachers make learning enjoyable, fun and interesting and they always try to be caring and helpful. I would encourage any pupil to come to this school.Ronan Lennon Year 8

I would recommend this school to

any one. I told 20 people already I

wouldn't go to another school.

Niall Stewart Year 9

A Final Word

In the foregoing pages you have read about our school, its teachers, its pupils, its curriculum and subjects, its facilities and activities, its rules, its structure, its systems, and finally

some ways in which you, as a parent, can help.

As the writer of the Final Word, could I emphasise how important I consider the role of the parent. In addition to the many ways you can help I would also like to stress the importance of your relationship with your son.

I offer you the following as a basis for a good solid relationship.

Communication A presence with him.Appreciation Acknowledge his effortsUnderstanding Listen with sympathy and firmnessChallenge Set high standards and values by

word and by exampleDiscipline Be fair, consistent, and firm.

Chastise, forgive, and forgetPrayer Awareness of God’s place through

family prayer.

If you can build your relationship with your son on these guidelines, you will be helping us, the teachers, immensely, as we teach your son and lead him through his adolescent years.

Mr. B. SharvinPrincipal

FIDELITAS

Timetable

Period Monday to FridayRegistration 9.00am to 9.15am

1. 9.15am to 9.50am2. 9.50am to 10.20am3. 10.20am to 10.50am

Mid-Morning Break 10.50am to 11.05am4. 11.05am to 11.35am5. 11.35am to 12.05am6. 12.05pm to 12.40pm

7 & Junior Lunch 12.40pm to 1.15pm8 & Senior Lunch 1.15pm to 1.50pm

9. 1.50pm to 2.20pm10. 2.20pm to 2.50pm11. 2.50pm to 3.20pm

A Selection of Year 14 Students Destinations and Courses.Adam Millar Northumbria University, Newcastle Sports CoachingJason Deegan UUJ Media ProductionRory Sharvin Hope University, Liverpool CriminologyRyan Connor John Moore University, Liverpool Applied PsychologyTony Cannon QUB CriminologyDeaglan Craig UUJ Building Surveying

Ryan

Tony

Rory

Deaglan

Adam

Jason

De La Salle High School

FIDELITAS

36 Struell Road, Downpatrick, Co Down BT30 6JRT: 028 4461 2520 F: 028 4461 3314e: info@dls.downpatrick.ni.sch.ukwww.dlshs.org.uk