Ballymena Learning Together 9 post primary school collaboration

BLT was originally set up by the Principals of the nine post-primary schools to develop a Collaborative Learning Community within the area.
The Mission Statement of this group is:
By working together we believe that schools can contribute to a more welcoming community in which young people feel a sense of belonging and
where diversity and difference are seen as enriching and valuable.
Our vision is of a society where young people from differing traditions and cultural backgrounds can work together towards a shared future characterised by mutual understanding and respect.
Students from each of the schools have been involved in a number of community relations programmes which have crossed all of the Key Stages and have been recognised as allowing for the fostering of more effective learners, in terms of the Northern Ireland Curriculum and more effective citizens in the work-place and in the local community.
Key Stage 3 SCRP:
All of the nine schools are involved in this initiative, but for ease of management sub-groups have been formed;student representatives of Year 9 were the focus.
Cambridge House Grammar School is in Group 1 along with Ballee High School and St Louis Grammar School.
There have been a number of events throughout the school year 2009-10:
• November Pre-workshop Session – Home school
• November First Contact - St Louis Grammar School
• November Corrymeela Visit
• February Prejudice, Stereotypes and Discrimination - Ballee Community High School
• March Symbols and Emblems/ Exploration of sectarianism - Cambridge House Grammar School
• June Ballymena Rules Football Tournament - Eaton Park
Key Stage 3 and 4
In April, students from Years 10 and 11 heard a testimony from Holocaust Survivor, Zigi Shipper, which was a focal point of BIEF’s Young People’s Conference Looking Back/Looking Forward which was held at the Braid Town Hall and Museum. The event was intended to educate about community cohesion, tolerance and understanding. The testimony was followed by a question and answer session to enable better understanding of the nature of the Holocaust and to explore its lessons in more depth.  Following this, Year 10 students were invited to be involved in workshops, interviews and in the making of a DVD.
Key Stage 5
The Spirit of Enniskillen Trust – Together
This was a residential programme for Sixth Form students which allowed for the exploration of issues and themes that related to personal identity and diversity.
Tim Parry Leadership Development Programme
The Tim Parry Leadership Development Programme has been organised by the Tim Parry, Jonathan Bell Foundation for Peace. Two Cambridge House Grammar
School students were selected to take part in the programme this year and are two of a small number of students selected across the Ballymena Learning
Together learning community. S McIntosh and S Boyd, from Year 13, have attended a conference and a residential at Corrymeela House in Ballycastle. The
residential focused on practical conflict resolution, self awareness and identity.

BALLYMENA LEARNING TOGETHER NEWS SHEET JULY 2011

Principals’ Steering Group2010-11

Chair:                     Mr. R. McFeeters (Castle Tower School)

Vice-Chair:            Mr. R. Hassard (Ballymena Academy)

Hon. Secretary:     Mrs. G. McCartney (Ballee CHS)         

Hon. Treasurer:    Mr. R. Hassard (Ballymena Academy)

Co-ordinator:        Mr. H. Deane

CURRICULUM COLLABORATION

Arising from the teacherfeedback received following the exceptional closing day held in November 2010,was the desire to establish cluster groups. Accordingly, during the past two terms SENCO and ICT clusters have met,each on more than one occasion.  Themeetings of each cluster held in June were all-day affairs and the evaluations reflecteda high degree of teacher satisfaction with the support delivered by therespective NEELB CASS officers.

Meanwhile, the Careers Education,Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG) subgroup bade farewell in June toNEELB field officer, Mrs Anne Kearney. All members of the subgroup were agreed that she had had been a greatinspiration to them during her two and a half years working with them.

Relating to CEIAG, it is goodto note that yet another successful careers convention was held in CambridgeHouse GS in February.  Once again fourschools from outside the boundaries of BLTattended.  At the beginning of Septembera KAPLAN UKCAT preparation programme will be hosted again by BLT for Year 14 due to make university applicationsfor high-demand courses beginning in 2013.

With the launch by DE of the Count Read Succeed Strategy, theliteracy subgroup will be refocusing on its targets, while it is likely that anumeracy subgroup will be established early in the new school year.  Lest there were not enough initiatives topreoccupy the members of BLT, thecoming year will inject a sense of urgency into the development work of the VirtualLearning Environment (VLE) subgroup.

COMMUNITY RELATIONS

The two community relationsworkshops so ably supported by the YMCA were followed in June by an outing byover 100 Year 9 pupils to the YMCA centre at Greenhill, County Down.  We do hope that the YMCA will be able tosupport our community relations programmes in the new school year.

The Anne Frank and Holocaustmemorial event held in the Braid Centre at the end of March had greater impactthan the one held in the previous year. Ziggy Shipper once again held his audience spellbound with the accountof his experience in Auschwitz.

In April it was announcedthat BLT schools had been invitedto participate in the Creative PeaceMural Project in association with the 2012 Olympic Games.  Some pupils from BLTschools have also been appointed as Young Olympic ambassadors.  We hope to report on exciting developments onthis front in future issues of the News Sheet. 

In the prevailing difficult financialclimate we move forward into the new school year with some trepidation.  It is still unclear about how the CommunityRelations, Equality and Diversity strategy (CRED)will roll out in the schools this year. However, with the goodwill generated amongthe BLT schools during the pastfive years we can be sure that community relations initiatives will continue todevelop and prosper in Ballymena.