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Introduction and Aims

INTRODUCTION & AIMS

St Mary’s belongs to the international group of schools served by the Congregation of Irish Christian Brothers.

The School was founded in 1866 to provide education for day pupils in the Belfast area.  The school was based in Barrack Street after 1929 and moved to our current site on the Glen Road in 1968.

As a Christian Brothers’ School, Catholic religious and moral education is central to the School’s Educational and Religious Philosophy.

St Mary’s is an ERST (Edmund Rice Schools Trust) School.

ETHOS

St Mary’s Christian Brothers’ Grammar School is a community of Christian values and excellence where children can realise their full potential in their academic, personal, physical, moral and spiritual development. We are committed to building a learning community which nurtures and promotes the development of decent, caring and confident pupils who can contribute to the wider community, treating all people with a sense of justice and to work with parents as partners in their son’s education. We are committed to ensuring each pupil has the experiences, resources and teaching appropriate to his abilities and aptitudes and to providing opportunities for pupils to participate in a variety of extra-curricular activities.

We proudly proclaim ourselves to be an Edmund Rice School in the Catholic tradition.  We strive to live out the teachings of Christ and recognise the uniqueness of each member of our school community as children of God. We model ourselves on the example of Blessed Edmund by promoting faith, generosity and selfless service to others.

School Mission

Inspired by the vision of Edmund Rice and following the mission of the Catholic Church to reveal Jesus Christ in the world, this school is actively involved in this mission as it works for the evangelisation of youth through Christian Education.

Striving to live by Gospel values, this school includes a religious dimension that permeates its whole schooling. We emphasise the uniqueness of each individual, promote that harmonious growth of the whole person and encourage a life-long willingness to sustain and develop this growth. We wish our pupils to be men for others, to acknowledge the dignity of each individual and to make decisions from the perspective of the poor and the under-privileged.

We prepare students for active participation in the Church and in service of the local community urging their reliance on a spirit of co-operation, friendship and community.

Our goal is that pupils leaving St. Mary’s should have a highly developed sense of personal faith and strong moral values, a realisation of their true academic potential and that they should be mature, confident and tolerant young people, prepared to take their place in this rapidly changing world and to make a worthwhile contribution to it.

Finally, we constantly review ourselves and adapt means and methods to achieve our mission more effectively.

School Aims

  1. To foster a religious and moral environment within the wider school community, guided by Christian principles and practice.
  2. To promote self-esteem and respect for others and for their environment.
  3. To provide every student with the support and opportunities needed to maximise his academic, social and creative potential.
  4. To provide a relevant, balanced and coherent curriculum.
  5. To provide a coherent and integrated pastoral care structure, appropriate to the needs of the pupils.
  6. To prepare students for adult life through an effective guidance programme.
  7. To encourage personal hygiene, physical fitness and healthy living.
  8. To provide opportunities for students to participate in organised extra-curricular activities.
  9. To encourage in students an appreciation of, and concern for, environmental issues at local, national and global level.
  10. To encourage parental participation in all relevant aspects of school life.