Thornhill College
142 Culmore Road
Derry
BT48 8JF

 

Age Range: 11-18
Roll: 1403

Approved Enrolment No: 1410
Approved Admissions no: 200

Thornhill College is an 11-18 Girls’ Grammar School which opened in 1932.  It aims to promote the all-round development of its pupils through the pursuit of academic excellence.  Academic learning takes place in a context which promotes Christian values within a Catholic ethos.
 

SPECIAL FEATURES

Thornhill College has a long established tradition of achievement, success, quality teaching and learning.

• It is a Specialist School in Mathematics and Physics.
• There is an outstanding team of teaching and support staff committed to maximising the potential of every pupil.
• There is clear academic performance and achievement which places the school in the top performing schools of Northern Ireland.
• The school’s pastoral policy emphasises self esteem and the relationship with one’s self, with other students, teachers and the wider world.
• The school attracts enthusiastic, well-motivated students who have lively enquiring minds, capable of critical and creative thinking.
• The school is highly regarded by the top universities which actively recruit from it, and by the world of business.  The School has a tradition of successful Oxbridge candidates.

An Inspection in 2009 deemed the Pastoral Provision in the school to be outstanding.  Education and Training Inspectorate (ETI) declared that teaching and learning in the school ranged from “outstanding to good”.

Thornhill College actively engages in The Foyle Learning Community in order to widen the curriculum available to its students and to share relevant courses with its Learning partners.

LIST OF SUBJECTS

After Year 10 the school offers courses leading to GCSE, A/S, “A” Level (A2) and Applied A Level.  Subjects which may be studied are as follows:

GCSE Level:  Additional Mathematics, Art and Design, Astronomy, Biology, Business Studies, Chemistry, Child Development, Drama, English, English Literature, French, Geography, German, History, Home Economics, Information Systems, Irish, Mathematics, Music, Physical Education, Physics, Religious Education, Double Award Science, Statistics, Spanish and Technology and Design.

A Level:  Art and Design, Biology, Business Studies, Chemistry, Design and Technology, Drama, English Literature, French, Further Mathematics, Geography, History, Home Economics, Irish, Mathematics, Moving Image, Music, Physical Education, Physics, Politics, Psychology, Religious Education, Sociology, Spanish and Statistics.

Applied A Level:  Business Studies, Health and Social Care, Information Technology and Science.

The College makes Careers Guidance a priority in its School Development Plan.  As a result the curriculum has a vigorous and effective focus on Education for Life and Work.

EXTRA CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

The College staff encourages all students to participate in the wide variety of extra-curricular activities which are offered.  All Year 8 students are expected to participate in at least one society or club.  This participation will underpin the statutory curriculum in order to develop the talents of the students and to ensure their engagement with the life of the school.

Activities include athletics, calligraphy, choir, drama, debating, language clubs, school orchestra, science clubs, writer’s workshop and a wide variety of sporting activities including Gaelic football, hockey, netball and soccer.

Thornhill College is an extended school which creates substantial links with the community.  Through its specialist status in Mathematics and Physics, it organises a rich variety of evening classes. 

The school also runs a Homework Club which attracts a large attendance and allows pupils to participate in extra-curricular activities because there is transport home.  The Homework Club has extended into a summer school for those pupils transferring into Year 8.