St Mary’s College Sixth Form Prospectus 2022

St. Mary’s College
6th Form Prospectus
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Our Principal, Mr Brendan McGinn
Dear Parent/Guardian
Welcome to our sixth form prospectus.
St Mary’s College is a progressive, forward thinking school, one celebrated for its
outstanding academic success, its focus on developing and meeting the needs
of every individual pupil, its drive to support pupil wellbeing and mental health and
its on-going celebration of the St Mary’s family and the Gospel values. We are a
school steeped in and formed by its proud history and it is these Sister of Mercy
values that continue to shape us to this very day.
Our staff are award winning and widely celebrated; our pupils achieve success
locally, nationally and internationally; our Sixth Form curriculum is unique, flexible
and engaging; our past pupils play a significant role in our curriculum and our
facilities are simply second to none. We are Microsoft Showcase School of
Excellence, ideally placed to support outstanding digital and remote learning.
Our Sixth Form aims to provide its senior pupils with a unique learning experience
for all. We have a range of courses at post 16 to suit all abilities, talents and
interests. We work in collaboration with the Foyle Learning Community, providing
the opportunity to study one subject at another school. From pupils undertaking
four A-Levels to those studying purely vocational courses, St Mary’s College is
ready and well-equipped to meet the curriculum needs of every pupil. We also
provide additional enrichment programmes and experiences so that all of the young
people in our care can effectively transition to young adulthood, ready and prepared
for their future.
Thank you in advance for taking the time to read through our Sixth Form
prospectus. It is a snap shot of our wonderful school and should you wish to
speak with us about the courses on offer at St Mary’s College, I would really
encourage you to ring us on 028 7136 2154 or email us at office@stmarysderry.
com. Please note that further details of the subjects offered, and subject specific
entry requirements can be found in the Options booklet that accompanies this
prospectus.
Finally, I wish you every success in your GCSE examinations later this year and I do
hope you enjoy our school prospectus.
Brendan McGinn (Principal)
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ST. MARY’S COLLEGE

Where girls feel safe and cared for
Our mission statement, “A community of learners growing in faith, learning for
life and aiming for excellence”, captures the essence of St Mary’s College. Our
fundamental aim is the education of the whole person, blending learning with
faith, and faith with daily life. We aspire to create an open, happy, stimulating and
mutually respectful community environment in which young people are able to
develop to the full range of their abilities and talents in a balanced, integrated, and
generous way.
Sixth Form is a critical period of transition and we take pastoral care very
seriously. We have in place a pastoral system designed to support your daughter
and indeed yourself through all of the challenges a school and life presents.
Let us introduce to you key members of the pastoral team.
Miss Yvonne Connolly –
Senior Teacher – Senior School
Ms Rona O’Donnell –
Head of Sixth Form
Miss Laura Smallwoods –
Sixth Form Supervisor
Mrs Karen Holt –
Designated Teacher for Safeguarding
Mr Eugene Moore –
Education Coordinator
At Saint Mary’s College we have a tutorial system in Sixth Form. This means that each student is a member of a form class during their time here with us. The form teacher
is the person who is responsible for looking after each person in their form class by monitoring their wellbeing and performance.
The team is responsible for the pastoral and academic wellbeing of students in both Year 13 and Year 14. We recognise the importance of regualr feedback and
communication with parents. This is achieved in a number of ways inculding Parent Teacher Meetings, Pupil Progress Review Meetings, personal telephone calls and face
to face meetings.
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Student Leadership Team
Sixth Form provides many leadership opportunities so that pupils are equipped to collaborate, communicate, lead and step into their future. In Year 14
pupils will have the opportunity to apply for a position in the student leadership team.
Members of this team include the Head Girl, Deputy Head Girls, Head of Student Council,
Head of Ambassadors and Head of the Big Sister programme. As a member of the student
leadership team pupils are ambassadors and role models for the younger students. There
are many opportunities to represent the school at various events, but most importantly of all
is the opportunity to lead the Student Council and to support the continuing improvement
of St Mary’s College. Every student voice is heard; ideas and suggestions are effectively
communicated to the staff Senior Leadership Team.
The “Big Sisters” programme is a highly effective pastoral initiative. Big Sisters are carefully
selected from our Sixth Form students to support the newest members to our school
community. “Big Sisters” communicate regularly with our pastoral team. They look after and
mentor Year 8 and Year 9 students.
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Our faith in action
Our aim is that pupils show respect and care for one another and for all who work
in this place of learning. As a Mercy school, led by the legacy of Catherine McAuley
and the Sisters of Mercy, pupils extend their concern to those less fortunate
through prayer and charitable service. We have a continued focus on home, school
and parish links.
The Catholic ethos permeates every aspect of our school life. This begins every
morning with our morning prayer where we gather as a community of faith in
action. We celebrate the various liturgical events which punctuate the school
calendar supported by our School Chaplain, Fr. Paul Farren. Throughout the
year there are an array of opportunities for faith formation in Sixth Form through
Charitable work, Masses of Celebration, Pope John Paul II Award, Pupil Enrichment
Programme, Assemblies and Retreats. Our school is committed to developing
confident women with a strong sense of justice, who demonstrate social
responsibility, care for those in our communities and foster a spirit of inclusion.
“May respect for each other be the
light that guides us”
Quote from our School Prayer.
At St. Mary’s College, we are strongly committed to building and
strengthening the Catholic ethos of the school. Underlying our
teaching and our relationships are the Gospel Values of Trust, Respect,
Understanding, Truth and Hope. This is embodied in our Truth badge
which every pupil receives when they join our school community and they
wear throughout their time with us.
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Investors in People Health and Wellbeing Award 2021
Message from Leader of Wellbeing – Mrs Molloy
I feel very privileged to have the very important role of Leader of Wellbeing in St. Mary’s College. I coordinate
and plan opportunities for every pupil and staff member to partake in the 5 ways to wellbeing. With
half of our staff trained in Mental Health First Aid, this school is taking seriously the area of wellbeing.
Positive, confident, resilient, kind, happy individuals successfully manage and overcome difficulties and live a
balanced and fulfilling life. Your health, wellbeing and happiness will remain key priorities for us.
Message from Ambassador
- Erin Donald
Wellbeing matters because you matter. Having a positive mind-set,
being self-aware of your physical and mental wellbeing and looking out
for each other gives us the power to achieve all of our dreams. At St
Mary’s College, the students and staff work hard daily to address this
area and I am proud to be the school’s ambassador for 2021/22.
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ST. MARY’S COLLEGE

Pupil physical, mental & emotional health is our priority
5 ways to wellbeing
Keep
active
Give
Take
notice
Connect
Keep
learning
Swim & Triathlon
Academy
Saturday School
Couch to 5K
Cross Country
Gymnastics
Trampolining
Dance
Gaelic
Soccer
Netball
Fundraising activities
e.g. St Vincent de Paul
with food hampers, and
The Pink Ladies with
money donations
Gratitude days e.g.
kindness days
Big Sister Programme
(Year 8 & 14 pupils)
Paired reading e.g. Year
10 pupils assisting year
8 pupils at lunchtime
Visits to day care
centres & hospices
(where permissible)
Mental health
Awareness workshops
Eco-club
Healthy break promotion
AWARE: Mood Matters
workshops
Counsellors available in
school
SMILE programme
Innovation Recovery
Education
Meditation
Health Promotion Week
Dedicated Wellbeing
½ day once a term for
pupils
Enrichment Programme
Shared Education
Initiative
RCPCH – pupils took
part in the “State of
child health report”
survey
NICCY – involved in
creating Mental Health
Charter for Children &
Young people
School Council
Extended Schools:
Virtual after school clubs
All Sixth Form pupils
follow a bespoke
Enrichment programme
Homework Club
Saturday School
Choir
Debating Club
Crochet Club
Games Club
Chat & Chew Club
Orchestra/Irish
Traditional Group
Chemistry Club
Motivational wellbeing
speakers
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Life in Sixth Form
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ST. MARY’S COLLEGE

Fun, Friendly Place to Learn
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Where girls prepare for their future career
“The top skills which employers see as rising
in prominence include critical thinking and
analysis as well as problem-solving, and
skills in self-management such as active
learning, resilience, stress tolerance and
flexibility.” World Economic Forum - The Future
of Jobs Report
Innovative Careers
Education
When our young people enter the workplace, it will
most likely be in a career that does not yet exist. At St
Mary’s we ensure that every pupil learns and develops
vital employability skills throughout their school
journey. Year 13 and 14 pupils have a dedicated
careers lesson where they explore futures in the local
and global economy, personal career planning and
entrepreneurship. All pupils are equipped to identify
their individual interests and aspirations, helping
them make better informed choices and ultimately
have fulfilling careers in the future. In recent years,
St Mary’s College have won the Irish News ‘Careers
Inspiration Award’ which acknowledges the strong
links we have developed with local employers and
business leaders. This achievement is shared by
all staff of the school who promote work skills and
encourage careers exploration in their subject areas.
Learning to be Leaders
Pupils at St Mary’s College continue to blaze a trail in
pursuing courses and careers in all industries. A crucial
step to enabling our young people to fulfil their potential
and reach their ambitions is working in partnership with
our local Colleges and Universities. In the past year,
pupils have progressed onto courses such as Artificial
Intelligence, Astrophysics, Forensic Science, Fashion,
Law, Finance, International Relations, Teaching, and
Biotechnology to name a few.
We offer an extensive programme of work experience in
partnership with our local businesses and virtually. This
gives young people an insight into the world of work
and allows them to build their employability skills.
We welcome a host of inspirational speakers and
successful work-related events for pupils to learn from.
This included Role Model Day, Entrepreneur talks,
Career insight visits, STEM Ambassador training and
the Females in IT partnership.
Opportunities For All
In St Mary’s College, we encourage all pupils to study
at University and stay local. We are proud supporters
of our local colleges: Ulster University, North West
Regional College, Letterkenny Institute of Technology
and Queen’s University.
Each year we take part in the ‘Queen’s University
Pathway Opportunity Programme’ providing support
to the talented young people of St Mary’s College.
Pupils spend one week on campus having fun,
partaking in lectures and doing assignments. The 5
pupils who took part this year received a reduced
grade offer for courses in Business, Architecture and
Engineering. They will also receive a £1000 bursary in
their first year.
To promote careers in the Financial Technologies
sector 6 pupils are currently undertaking a Level
2 certificate in a Financial Services qualification.
This certificate will provide them with the skills and
knowledge to pursue a career in this growth sector in
Northern Ireland.
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ST. MARY’S COLLEGE

Queen’s University Belfast - Pathway Opportunity
Each year our pupils take part in the highly successful Queen’s Pathway
Opportunity Programme in Year 13 & 14. The talented young women
attend the University campus, meet new friends, take part in lectures and
experience life as a student during a summer residential.
In 2021 4 pupils graduated and received a reduced offer for a Queen’s
University course at the end of Year 14. Cara McGlinchey & Taylor Hale
completed the Business Pathway. Ava Canney took part in the Engineering
Pathway and Cara McGuinness completed the Natural and Built
Environment Pathway.
Currently, we have 11 Year 13 students on this Queen’s Pathway
Opportunity Programme in the following subject areas: The Arts,
Humanities and Social Sciences, Law, Nursing, Psychology and Social
Work.
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Examination Success
St Mary’s College is renowned for its outstanding
academic success at A Level (and equivalents). Our
curriculum is extensive and versatile, and we are
proactive in adapting our examination offer to meet
the needs of all of our pupils.
Each pupil pathway is specifically tailored to meet
every learning need and, as a result, currently we
have students undertaking 4 A Levels, 3 A Levels, a
mixture of A Levels and BTECs and a purely vocational
pathway.
*Please note that the last public examinations took
place in 2019, and in the subsequent years (2020 and
2021), all post primary schools engaged in internal
Centre Assessment / Determined Grade processes.
Students achieving 3 or more A Levels
(including equivalents) at grades A*- C.
Year
% of Pupils achieving
2017 71.8%
2018 84%
*2019 81.4%
2020 84%
2021 81.7%
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Criteria for Admission
Who is entitled to EMA?
Criteria for Any Extra Places Made Available by The Department of Education
for Admission into Year 13 (Sixth Form)
The Department of Education may, in response to a request from a school, increase
the number of pupils that the school can admit to its year 13. Places that become
available in this way shall be allocated only to pupils who meet the basic eligibility
criteria for sixth form study and shall be allocated in the order determined by the
criteria to be applied in the order set down.
a. Pupils who have most recently completed year 12 in St. Mary’s College.
b. Pupils who have most recently completed year 12 at an 11 – 16 school.
c. Pupils from another school where admission to an extra place at St.
Mary’s College has been agreed by the Department of Education.
Please note: The entry criteria for specific subjects is contained in the Options
Booklet.
To apply for a place in our Sixth Form please contact us on to make an
appointment on the day you receive your GCSE examination results. Our staff
will be delighted to speak with you and your parent/ guardian and will guide you
through the process.
You can get an EMA if you’re aged 16, 17, 18 or 19 years on or between 2nd July
2022 and 1st July 2023 and all of the following statements apply to you:
• your household income is £20,500 or less for households with one dependent
child or £22,500 or less for households with more than one dependent child
• you are full time at school or doing a minimum of 15 guided hours per week at
college, studying an eligible course and attending all classes
• you meet the nationality and residency rules set out in the EMA scheme
• you have not already received the maximum allowance for EMA, which is 117
positive or negative weekly attendance confirmations over the total length of
your course
You may be entitled to receive EMA for a maximum of three years, as long as the
household income does not rise above the income threshold which applies to your
household. The EMA is available over a four-year period for those young people
who may need additional time in further education to achieve their full potential.
Receipt of EMA will not affect any other benefits being received in the household.
Please note that further details of the subjects offered, and subject specific
entry requirements can be found in the Options booklet that accompanies this
prospectus.
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Opening school Mass at St Eugene’s Cathedral
Principal: Mr Brendan McGinn
35 Northland Road, Derry, Northern Ireland, BT48 0AN.
e: office@stmarysderry.com
t: (028) 7136 2154
www.stmarysderry.com
www.bigfishdesign-ad.com
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