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St. Patrick's Academy
Ballinderry Rd, Lisburn BT28 1TD
Examination and Assessment
Upon entry to the school, each pupil will be given the opportunity to acquaint the school with his/her achievements to date, their interests, their background etc. by recording these on a pro forma document.
This record will be updated regularly during P.S.E. classes. This record will form the basis of a ‘Pupil Profile’ which will accompany the pupil throughout their time in St Patrick’s.
Examinations
Pupils’ academic journey is mapped on entry to the school. This enables all staff to plan for the individual learning needs of every pupil and to ensure that steady progress is made throughout each academic year. Pupils engage in PIM and PIE baseline assessments at the beginning of each academic year. CAT4 and PASS testing are also carried out to provide a complete profile of learning targets, strengths, needs and preferences for each individual student. This information is then used by staff to support learners in achieving their full potential. Progress is measured through academic testing at key intervals during the school year, and also through testing of the next stage of PTM and PTE, to measure performance.
At Key Stage 3, teachers assess and report with reference to the Levels of Progression for Communication and Mathematics. For Communication and Using Mathematics, schools report numerical outcomes to parents and to CCEA at the end of the key stage.
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St Patrick’s offers over 30 subjects at GCSE and several other Vocational subjects in conjunction with the South Eastern Regional College. The vast majority of examinations are provided by the Northern Ireland examinations board, CCEA. There is a very high expectation of success for our pupils, and a unique Mentoring System ensures parents are involved in every aspect of examination preparation. The strong performance by our students in the GCSE examination programme was highlighted as a major strength by the Department of Education during a recent Inspection.
At Post 16, all students sit a minimum of 3 A-level subjects, and receive guidance on University Admission procedures.
“In public examinations over the past five years, the attainment in five or more examinations in GCSE and equivalent subjects at grades A* to C including GCSE English and mathematics was significantly above the average for nonselective schools.” ETI NI"