Lisneal College share school improvement journey

Mark Baker, Chief Executive, Controlled Schools’ Support Council (CSSC) and Michele Corkey, Director of Education, Education Authority (EA) recently visited Lisneal College.

Lisneal College visit (CSSC and Education Authority)

They were welcomed by Michael Allen, Principal, who shared Lisneal’s school improvement journey. Michael was acknowledged as Pearson Silver Award Winner for Headteacher of the Year in a Secondary School earlier this year in recognition of his work at Lisneal College.

The school has transformed into a high performing and oversubscribed school. In 2015 pupils received their best results to date with 85% of year 12 students achieving 5 A*- C GCSE grades or equivalent. Along with other improvement targets the school focused on values representing the school’s ethos. The hard work and commitment of staff contributed to the improvement in outcomes for pupils. Lisneal College has 1012 pupils, 31 additional teachers have been appointed and a broader curriculum offer is available to the students.

One of the greatest achievements of the staff has been to work with the local community to build a network of partnerships that support the education of pupils. Community funded GCSE Mathematics and English classes are widely available to all pupils in Key Stage 4. The school is widely recognised for excellence in providing for children with special educational needs.

Changing the culture and developing a positive shared ethos contributed significantly to the school’s success.