Carrickfergus College is a secondary school

Secondary education

Secondary education is the stage of education following primary education. Secondary education includes the final stage of compulsory education and in many countries it is entirely compulsory. The next stage of education is usually college or university...

 located in Carrickfergus

Carrickfergus

Carrickfergus , known locally and colloquially as "Carrick", is a large town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is located on the north shore of Belfast Lough, from Belfast. The town had a population of 27,201 at the 2001 Census and takes its name from Fergus Mór mac Eirc, the 6th century king...

, County Antrim

County Antrim

County Antrim is one of six counties that form Northern Ireland, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland. Adjoined to the north-east shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of 2,844 km², with a population of approximately 616,000...

, Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...

. The college was opened in 1959 and has over 750 students and 52 teachers. It is within the North Eastern Education and Library Board

North Eastern Education and Library Board

The North Eastern Education and Library Board is an organisation providing education and library services for the north-eastern Local Government Districts, Northern Ireland, in County Antrim and eastern County Londonderry...

 area.

College Ethos

"At Carrickfergus College we are committed to providing a quality educational experience for each young person placed in our care. We endeavour to create a secure and supportive environment where all pupils can thrive emotionally, academically, physically and spiritually to achieve their full potential as well-qualified, caring and contributing members of the community. The College's high expectations for pupils and staff facilitate the pursuit of excellence in all areas of learning and pastoral care. Underpinning all we attempt is the belief that education, at whatever level, should be an experience which empowers the learner."

Mission

"To provide a diverse and challenging range of quality experiences, delivered by caring, professional staff, in a well ordered environment. In partnership with parents, we will enable young people to discover and develop their academic, artistic, physical and social skills and they will acquire the knowledge to make informed choices in career, moral, spiritual and health related issues. The skills needed for independent and lifelong learning will be honed and the totality of their experiences at the College will empower them to shape their futures and become fully integrated in to the ever changing local and global communities". "We aim for excellence".

Information

Carrickfergus College was previously known as Carrickfergus High School. It is locally (and colloquially) known simply as "Carrick College".

During the school year 2009/2010, Carrickfergus College celebrated its 50th anniversary.

The school won UTV

UTV

UTV is a television channel based in the UK region of Northern Ireland. The channel is the Channel 3 or Independent Television licensee for Northern Ireland and is operated by UTV Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of UTV Media.- Terrestrial :* Analogue: Normally tuned to 3 * Freeview : 3...

’s Secondary School Choir of the Year in 1998, 2003 and 2005.

Carrickfergus Learning Community (CLC)

Carrickfergus College is currently involved in a new curricular scheme called the Carrickfergus Learning Community (CLC), along with Carrickfergus Grammar School, Downshire, and Ulidia Integrated College. It means that if another school in Carrickfergus is doing the subject your school isn't you will be able to do it without moving schools.

At Carrickfergus College students may study:

• Religious Education (AS/A2)
• Health & Social Care (Applied GCE Single Award)
• Applied ICT (AS/A2)
• History (AS/A2)
• Government and Politics (AS/A2)

At Carrickfergus Grammar students may study:

• Biology (AS/A2)
• French (AS/A2)
• Geography (AS/A2)
• Music (AS/A2)
• Photography (AS/A2)
• Physics (AS/A2)

At Downshire School students may study:

• Media Studies (AS/A2)
• Travel & Tourism (Applied GCE Single Award)

At Ulidia Integrated College students may study:

• Moving Image Arts (AS/A2)
• Maths (AS/A2)
• Performing Arts (BTec)
• Sports Studies (BTec)
• e.Business (BTec)

Admissions Criteria

Students wishing to access the above mentioned courses must have met the school criteria for returning to their own school to complete sixth form studies and meet the entry requirements for the individual subject they wish to study.

Specialist School

In May 2007 the school became a specialist school for Business and Enterprise. At present they are one of only 25 secondary / grammar schools in Northern Ireland to have achieved this prestigious designation. As a specialist school they receive additional funding which will be in excess of £400,000 over the next four years. This will be used to enhance resources in all subject areas, with the ultimate aim of continually raising standards of pupil achievement.

Extra-Curricular activities

	Club		Info
Art Club	On Mondays from 3:30 - 4:30
Badminton Club	On Thursdays from 3:30 - 4:40
Band	On Tuesdays from 3:30 - 4:30
Basketball Club	On Fridays from 3:30 - 4:30
Business & Enterprise Club	On Tuesdays 3:30 - 4:30
Chess Club	On Tuesdays from 3:30 - 4:30
Choir	On Fridays 3:30 - 4:30
Christian Union	On Tuesdays at Junior & Senior Lunchtimes
Comenius	Various activities throughout the year
Connecting Classroom Group	Tuesdays
Cookery Club	Mondays from 3:30 - 4:30
Craft Club	Tuesdays from 3:30 - 4:30
Cricket Club	Summer Term
Cross Country Practices and Competitions	Mondays from 3:30- 4:30
Dance Club	Mondays from 3:30- 4:30
Driver Trainer Scheme	As required throughout the school year
Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme Expedition	Training work and expeditions in Summer
English Competition Club	Tuesdays from 3:30 - 4:30
Fishing Competitions	Various times throughout the year
Football Training	3:30 - 4:30 Different year groups on different days
Hockey Club	3:30 - 4:30 Different year groups on different days
Homework Club	Monday - Thursday 3:30 - 4:30
Key Camp Residential's	Various trips throughout the year
Language Club	Monday 3:30-4:30
Maths Club	Thursdays Junior Lunch
Multimedia Club	Tuesday 3:25 - 4:25
Netball	See staff for details
Rambling Club	Saturdays - Once per month from Easter to September
Rugby	3:30 - 4:30. Different years on different days
Science Club	Monday 3:30 - 4:15
Technology Club	TBD
Tennis	TBD
Volleyball	3:30 - 4:30 Different year groups on different days

House system

It has set up a house system similar to Carrickfergus Grammar with houses Castle, Fergus and Knockagh. The house system holds many competitions within the school and the house with most points at the end of the year will win a trip out of school. It is sorted by form classes

Form classes	House
H and I	Castle
J and K	Fergus
L and M	Knockagh

The 2007/8 was won by Fergus, Castle in second and Knockagh in third.