Principal's Welcome
Ballycastle High School is a non-selective controlled, co-educational, 11-18 school. It attracts pupils from a wide, rural hinterland as well as from the town of Ballycastle. The school’s current enrolment is 407, with a small but well established and flourishing sixth form offering a wide range of Applied and General subjects.
The school is widely recognised as a long established and successful school, with academic results at GCSE, historically exceeding the Northern Ireland average for Secondary Schools (non-selective). Ballycastle High School is held in the highest esteem by the local and wider community. It aims to provide an educational environment suited to all of the pupils entrusted to its care, so that each and every pupil achieves the highest level of intellectual, personal, physical, moral and social development of which they are capable.
As an ‘All Round School’, pupil experiences are intended to provide the individual with an awareness of their social responsibilities, respect for authority and the differences of others. The school aims to assist pupils in becoming well integrated, disciplined personalities, capable of assuming an independent role in an ever changing society. A strong emphasis is placed on pastoral provision built on positive relationships throughout the school.
A long standing and highly regarded collaborative partnership with Cross and Passion College has enabled delivery of the ‘Entitlement Framework’ over the years and has led to closer links at Key Stages 4 and 5 between the two schools. Involvement in the Coleraine Area Learning Partnership has also brought opportunities for staff and pupil development.
The school also attaches great importance to its wide range of sporting and extra curricular activities.
Since 2014 we have been involved in the development of a new Shared Education Campus project with Cross and Passion College. Phase one is nearing completion and both schools will occupy the brand new facility from November 2026. A second phase to construct sports buildings and facilities will be completed by early 2028.
The Campus will not only provide opportunities and facilities for young people to meet and share educational experiences, it will also enable both schools to continue to provide high quality educational outcomes for a significant number of the young people of North Antrim, in an ‘All-Ability’ setting. The schools will retain their own ethos and governance arrangements, whilst also working closely together to maximise resources and identify opportunities for strategic and operational cost savings where appropriate.
Currently, the project includes a suite of core buildings, with shared sections providing accommodation for practical subjects, library, careers facilities, sixth form study and schools meals provision.
There will be shared sports facilities and there has been considerable work done with Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council who have invested in the sports facilities and will manage community access to the provision during out of school hours.