Cambridge House Grammar School

Cambridge House Grammar School is a mixed, controlled grammar school in the County Antrim town of Ballymena, Northern Ireland within the North Eastern Education and Library Board area.

General

The school is located in the Galgorm Road area of the town at a mature site surrounded by gardens and playing fields comprising almost 80 acres. Cambridge House is the newest grammar school in the province, having being opened in September 2001, following the amalgamation of the old Cambridge House Grammar School for Girls (founded 1910) and Cambridge House Boy's Grammar School (founded 1975). The main school buildings are contemporary and the campus was refurbished in 2001 prior to the opening of the new school. The Technology and Design Suite is an award winning building and the most recent addition to the school, and its facilities are among the best in the province. The school has recently invested in the latest computer technology and the pupils and staff have access to the very latest in computer multimedia and Internet learning packages. The school also includes a separate Drama and Media annexe and a self contained, Sixth Form Centre complete with both private and communal study areas, a common room and a coffee shop.

Principal

Mrs. Eileen Lisk BA, MEd, DASE, PGCE, assumed her position as Principal in February 2004. She is a graduate of the Queen's University of Belfast, having obtained her BA in English and French in 1978. Mrs Lisk has had a long career with the North Eastern Education and Library Board, in both teaching and non teaching roles.

The house system

Cambridge House Grammar School (CHGS) is split into six houses, and the pastoral care of each pupil is enforced by this system. The house system is based on patrons who are successful in a wide range of expertise, such as sports, business, science and the Arts. The ethos behind the house system is that each pupil can relate to a smaller unit within the school and have a sense of identity in such a large school. Each house is allocated a House Director, two Heads of House and a team of seven group tutors. Each House fosters the development of Leadership skills in the pupils, as House Prefects are elected in year 11. Each house has a separate colour, house charity and house council.

The houses, and their patrons are listed below.

• Jones House: Marie Jones, Belfast born playwright.
• Burnell House: Professor Jocelyn Bell Burnell, phyicsist.
• Abercorn House: Alexandra Hamilton, Duchess of Abercorn
• Bell House: Derek Bell, musician and member of the Chieftains.
• Patton House: David Patton, local businessman.
• Robinson House: Brian Robinson, former Ulster and Ireland rugby player and past pupil.

School Leadership

• Mr. Charles Mills: Principal, September 2001-June 2003.
• Mrs. Elma Lutton (Current Vice Principal): Acting Principal, September 2003-February 2004.
• Mrs. Eileen Lisk: Principal, February 2004-Present.
• Mr. Robert Wilson: Acting Principal (Spring 2008)

Notable Alumni

• Adrian McCoubrey, Professional Cricketer held the office of Deputy Head Boy 1997/98
• Shane Glynn, Executive Producer for BBC NI Sports and former News Reporter for UTV

Controversy

In February 2008, Danny Murray, a former teacher at the school, won a sex discrimination and victimisation case against the North Eastern Education and Library Board and the school's Board of Governors, after he was not appointed as a Director of Cambridge House Grammar School in March 2001. Murray claimed one of the females appointed to the panel was less qualified than he was, and that the reason for her appointment was for gender balance. He also asserted that he was being victimised, after being refused early retirement. The Industrial Tribunal stated the appointment was "contrived and engineered", and ruled in Mr Murray's favour.

References