Christian Brothers Grammar School, Omagh Scoil Ghramadaí na mBráithre Críostaí, An Ómaigh |
|
---|---|
Location | |
Omagh, County Tyrone Northern Ireland |
|
Coordinates | 54°35′53″N 7°18′07″W / 54.598°N 7.302°WCoordinates: 54°35′53″N 7°18′07″W / 54.598°N 7.302°W |
Information | |
Established | 1861 |
Principal | Foncy McConnell |
Gender | Male |
Number of students | 977 |
Trustees | Edmund Rice Schools Trust |
Website | [1] |
The Christian Brothers Grammar School, Omagh (Irish: Scoil Ghramadaí na mBráithre Críostaí, An Ómaigh, known locally as CBS Omagh, Omagh CBS, the Brothers and, to a lesser extent, CBGS Omagh) is a single (boys) sex grammar school in Omagh, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is the largest school in Omagh District Council, having 977 pupils in 2016.
The catchment of the school is boys within the area of Omagh District Council, generally about a 32-kilometre (20 mi) radius. Traditionally all of the students have been Catholics, and as such, prepared to learn about the Catholic faith upon enrolling in the school.
The school's focus is academic, offering compulsory subjects of English Literature, English Language, Science, and Mathematics until GCSE. The School also focuses on the teachings of the Catholic faith, making Religious Studies compulsory at GCSE, and as a subsidiary weekly lesson during A Level years. For 'A' Levels, the school also offers a mix of liberal arts and academic subjects, as well as more vocational subjects. The school offers over 30 Advanced Level and BTEC Subjects at Post-16 level and around 24 GCSE subjects in the current year.
From 2005 until 2011, the percentage of students achieving 5 or more GCSE grades A* to C has been 95.4, 95.0, 98.5, 91.8, 96.8, 99.3 and 95.7%.
The school was founded on 14 January 1861, on Mount St. Columba. The building has since went into other use as a retreat. A primary school, Holy Trinity (previously St Colmcille), has been the school there since. Its original headmaster was Brother John Redmond. He was accompanied by Austin Murray and Francis Lacey. On its first day of activity one hundred and twenty boys, all aged between five and fifteen, showed up.
In 1902 Br. Franklin decided to add an extension, a second floor to the school and a third to the brothers' house. This came at the time a considerable cost of £1,200 partly financed by a £800 loan from past pupils. Operations of the school were moved to old Church, Brook Street while construction was under way. Once finished the renovations provided the school with three more rooms; one for Manual Instruction, a sixty student accommodating classroom and a room with all the necessities for Practical and Experimental Science.