Aquinas Diocesan Grammar School
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{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2019}}
{{more citations needed|date=May 2018}}
{{Infobox school
| name = Aquinas Diocesan Grammar School
| image = Aquinas Grammar School Logo.png
| image_size = 250px
| caption =
| motto = Veritas Liberabit (The truth shall set you free)
| coordinates = {{Coord|54.576168|-5.907435|display=inline,title|region:GB_scale:5000}}
| established = 1993
| closed = July - August
| type = Grammar School
| religious_affiliation = Roman Catholic
| head_label = Principal
| head = Dr Marie Dowling
| r_head_label = Chaplain
| r_head = Colin Grant
| chair_label = Chair of Board of Governors
| chair = Mr Terry McDaid
| founder =
| specialist =
| address = 518 Ravenhill Road
| city = Belfast
| county =
| country = Northern Ireland
| postcode = BT6 OBY
| local_authority = Education Authority (Belfast)
| dfeno =
| urn =
| ofsted =
| staff = ~100
| enrolment = 770
| gender = Coeducational
| lower_age = 11
| upper_age = 18
| houses =
| colours = {{color box|Grey}}{{color box|Navy}}{{color box|#800020}}
| publication =
| sports = Basketball, Gaelic football, hockey, netball, rugby, soccer, swimming, tennis
| free_label_1 = School Years
| free_1 = Year 8 - Year 14
| free_label_2 = Chairman Mr Terry McDaid
| free_2 =
| free_label_3 =
| free_3 =
| website = http://aquinasgrammar.com/
}}
Aquinas Diocesan Grammar School is a co-educational Catholic Maintained grammar school situated on the Ravenhill Road, Belfast, Northern Ireland. It teaches a range of subjects. Its main education board of choice is CCEA, but the school also uses AQA and Edexcel for certain subjects.{{cite web |title=Aquinas Diocesan Grammar School |url=https://www.eani.org.uk/school-management/area-planning/development-proposal-decisions/aquinas-diocesan-grammar-school |website=Education Authority |access-date=17 June 2023}}
History
Aquinas was established by the Diocese of Down and Connor as a co-educational voluntary Grammar School. It admitted the first 110 pupils in September 1993. The current building for which the school occupies finished construction in January 2003.{{Cite web|title=Project profile: Aquinas Diocesan Grammar School|url=https://michaelnugent.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Aquinas-Diocesan-Grammar-School-Profile.pdf|website=Michael Nugent mechanical & electrical services}}
Motto and crest
The school's motto is Veritas Liberabit which is Latin for "The truth will set you free". The school crest is a circle half-surrounded by a 'mane' (representing the Evangelist Mark), and inside the circle in one half there is half of an ox (symbolising St Thomas Aquinas) and the symbol of the lamb and the keys.
Academics
It teaches a range of subjects. Its main education board of choice is CCEA, but the school also uses AQA and Edexcel for certain subjects.
In 2018 it was ranked joint first in Northern Ireland for its GCSE performance with 100% of its entrants receiving five or more GCSEs at grades A* to C, including the core subjects English and Maths.{{cite news|title=Belfast Telegraph GCSE 2018|newspaper=Belfasttelegraph|url=https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/education/league-tables/gcse-northern-ireland-school-league-table-2018-36708204.html|accessdate=22 September 2018}}
In 2019 the school was ranked 11th out of 159 secondary schools in Northern Ireland with 88.4% of its A-level students who entered the exams in 2017/18 being awarded three A*-C grades.{{cite news|title= Belfast Telegraph A-Level: Northern Ireland School League Tables 2019|newspaper=Belfasttelegraph|url=https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/education/league-tables/2019/alevel-northern-ireland-school-league-table-2019-37935474.html|accessdate=21 March 2019}}
In 2022 the school was ranked 2nd out of the top 10 performing schools in Northern Ireland and ranked 35th state and independent school in England, Wales and Northern Ireland in Parent Power, The Sunday Times Schools Guide 2023.{{cite news | url=https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/education/st-marys-magherafelt-tops-sunday-times-school-table-42206326.html | title=St Mary's Magherafelt tops Sunday Times' school table | newspaper=Belfasttelegraph.co.uk }}
See also
References
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External links
- [http://www.aquinasgrammar.com Aquinas Grammar School website]
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Category:Grammar schools in Belfast
Category:Catholic secondary schools in Northern Ireland