St Catherine's College, Armagh Explained

St Catherine's College, Armagh
Coláiste Chaitríona, Ard Mhacha
Established:1973
Enrolment:Approx. 1,200
Location:Convent Rd, Armagh BT60 4BJ
Head Label:Principal
Head:Noeleen Tiffney
Gender:All-Girls for EMU, Coeducational for IMU
Lower Age:11
Upper Age:18
Website:https://stcatherinesarmagh.com/

Saint Catherine's College Armagh (Irish: Coláiste Chaitríona Ard Mhacha) is an all level Catholic school in Armagh, Northern Ireland. It caters for the 11-18 age group and is associated with the international group of schools served by the Society of the Sacred Heart.

History

It was formed in 1973 when the existing Convent of the Sacred Heart Grammar and secondary schools in the city were re-organized on a comprehensive basis to provide secondary education for all the Catholic girls of the greater Armagh area. Saint Catherine's College was a boarding school in the earlier 1900s and was formed by the Sacred Heart trust to provide education for young girls of all backgrounds.

Facilities

Saint Catherine's College is situated on a 30acres site off the Convent Road in Armagh and the existing school buildings have been refurbished and upgraded to ensure the provision of the most modern technological and sporting facilities. A £1.5 million building program has recently been completed with the construction of a new five classroom Information and Communication Technology building. New facilities have also been added to the Irish Medium Unit.

Academics

The school caters for the full range of ability and comprises: Key Stage 3 (Years 8, 9 and 10), Key Stage 4 (Years 11 and 12) and Sixth Form (Years 13 and 14).

In 2018, 73.3% of its entrants achieved five or more GCSEs at grades A* to C, including the core subjects English and Maths.[1] Also in 2018, 81.4% of its entrants to the A-level exam achieved A* to C grades.[2]

An Sruth Gaeilge, which is an integral part of Saint Catherine's College, provides Irish Medium education for those who wish to build on the Irish Language competences acquired in the Bunscoileanna.

Sports

The school is involved in many sporting activities including Gaelic football and camogie. In 2019, the school won the Lidl All-Ireland Schools Junior A Championship Gaelic football Final.[3]

Notable former pupils

References

54.35°N -6.664°W

Notes and References

  1. News: Belfast Telegraph GCSE 2018. Belfasttelegraph.co.uk . 27 November 2018.
  2. News: A-Level: Northern Ireland School League Table 2018. Belfasttelegraph.co.uk . 27 November 2018.
  3. News: Gunn . Louisa . St Catherine's, Armagh celebrate first All-Ireland triumph . 16 June 2022 . The Irish News . 9 April 2019.