Principal’s Welcome
On behalf of the Board of Governors, Staff and Students, I would like to welcome you to our school. New-Bridge Integrated College is an 11 – 18 school which welcomes boys and girls, all abilities and families from catholic, protestant and other traditions. Our school was established in 1995 by parents from the Banbridge and Newry areas, who wanted a school where children from different communities could be educated together under one roof.
As Laureate of Peace Education, we continue to play a significant role in promoting our inclusive ethos, celebrating diversity and developing our young people into well rounded tolerant citizens, who are happy and engaged in their learning and respectful of each other’s beliefs and traditions. At New-Bridge we provide high quality education through a broad and balanced curriculum which caters for the full ability range. Our child centred approach to learning and teaching is built on positive relationships between staff, students and parents; with priority given to the care and welfare of our students.
New-Bridge is a happy place to learn and work and we are very proud of our excellent record of academic and vocational successes which ensures progression for all our young people. We offer a quality learning experience for those with gifts and talents, those with a high academic profile and those who require additional support and this is evidenced through the destinations of our students, be that University or Further Education Colleges. As our school motto states, we are indeed ‘The School for All the family’. I am proud to say we celebrate the ‘personal best’ of every student at New-Bridge.
We are delighted that under the Fresh Start Agreement Funding, our Contractors, Ganson Ltd, have been appointed with construction work expected to commence early 2023 with a completion schedule of 18 months! Our design plans are breath-taking and will offer so many new opportunities for our students, staff and local community. Through our School Website, our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram posts, we capture the ethos of our school in words and pictures.
We also hope that your visit to our school, be that virtually or face to face, enables you to experience first-hand our welcoming, friendly and caring ethos. We look forward to expanding our New-Bridge family in September 2023 by welcoming new students and new families to our school.
A Anderson Principal
Head Girl Welcome
It is my pleasure to welcome you to our school. My name is Molly Hoey, and I am very proud to be part of the New-Bridge family, but also to hold the position of Head Girl of our school.
My journey at New-Bridge started in 2017, having previously attended Bridge Integrated Primary school. I can wholeheartedly say that New-Bridge has positively shaped me into the confident, articulate and conscientious student I am today. I believe it is now time for me to give back to our school all of the kindness and warmth shown to me from the beginning of my New-Bridge journey.
I currently study A-level Religious Studies, Health & Social Care and Sport Studies and I hope to move onto Queens University, Belfast in September to study BSc Social Work. I have watched how the strong relationships between teachers and pupils are developed in our school. For me, it is one of the main reasons that I want to become a social worker and also one of the main reasons why our pupils thrive and develop during their time here. Pupils are never afraid to ask for support and I know that had I gone to any other school, I would not have received the same guidance I have received here in New-Bridge. Each student has an extremely strong and positive relationship with their teachers through our studies and outside of the classroom through our extra-curricular clubs.
Success in our school is also about the wider opportunities which we are offered whether that is through our pupil council, peer mentoring, prefect and anti-bullying ambassadors. Pupils are encouraged to get involved in all the opportunities offered to them and as a sixth form student who works closely with younger students, I can say that mentoring others is a such an important strength of our school and has taught me about the importance of empathy and compassion as I prepare to leave school.
For me, these opportunities for everyone are summarised best through our school motto and the message behind it. We are “The school for all the family” Not only does our motto promote the warmth and positivity of our school atmosphere, but it also highlights our thriving integrated ethos and how success is celebrated in our school for all pupils of abilities.
I am proud to be a New-Bridge student and look forward to welcoming new pupils to our school every year.
Molly
Head Boy Welcome
Hello everyone, my name is Tom Caughey, and I am privileged to be Head Boy of New-Bridge Integrated College. I joined the school as a Year 8 pupil in 2017 and I can say with full confidence that it was one of the best decisions I have ever made; our school has provided me with so many valuable skills- I have been taught how to lead, how to motivate others and how to communicate effectively and I know these skills will stay with me when I go to university and beyond.
I am currently studying Physics, ICT and Psychology at A-Level and In September I will be pursuing Engineering at University. I know that my school experience to date has prepared me well for this. Teachers here work hard to make sure that every student in their class achieves their own personal best and my success so far has been due to the great teachers I have been lucky enough to have in New-Bridge.
Throughout my time here I have been able to take part in academic programmes outside of my normal classes such as, The Brilliant Club which allowed me to work with PHD student from Queen’s University Belfast and provided me with a great insight into university life and tutorial style learning. I am also a mental health ambassador and work closely with pupils in our school; helping them learn about the importance and promotion of strong mental wealth.
Another positive aspect of the school that I believe sets it apart from others is the focus our teachers have on pastoral care. I remember how daunting it was joining the school as a new year eight student. However, all of the worries I had were quickly put to rest as I realised how well looked after I would be and I know many other pupils at the school would agree that New-Bridge does the absolute best for its pupils to make sure that all students are given every chance to succeed because they know they are cared for here. It is also the peer-to-peer support offered to students in our school which really does help students to connect and learn. For example, our senior prefects work hard with younger students completing GCSEs through our peer mentoring programme and you will often see students from different year groups working together through our mentoring programmes which really benefits all pupils involved in that.
As Head Boy I would like to finish by saying that I continue to do my absolute best to make sure that all younger pupils can enjoy and benefit from the positive atmosphere that I have felt during my time at this school. I have a younger brother Euan in Year 8 and he is enjoying New-Bridge as much as I have and I know he will have the same opportunities to succeed that I have had.
I hope you choose New-Bridge!
Tom
“New-Bridge Integrated is an integrated all-ability school. We are committed to ensuring that all our pupils are provided with the opportunity to achieve to their full educational potential in a challenging and stimulating environment in which they all feel cherished and valued”
Our College Aims
and College Prayer
- To enable our pupils to grow mature in their own beliefs, culture and tradition
- To promote peace and reconciliation by actively seeking knowledge and understanding of other beliefs, cultures and traditions
- To develop in our pupils the self-esteem and self-discipline necessary for responsible citizenship in a pluralistic society
- To provide a challenging and stimulating environment in which the academic, sporting and personal success of pupils is promoted and celebrated
- To cherish, nurture and respect each other regardless of race, gender or other differences
- To encourage individual spiritual development and to work and pray for peace in our lives
- To promote the involvement of all members of the College community, whether governors, parents, pupils or staff in the development of the College
- To foster a caring and responsible attitude to the College and the local environment
- To create effective links between the College and the wider community
May God give Blessings on All
Whose Lives Build Our School
Both Parent and Child
Both Young and Old
Both Wisdom and Youth
Stranger and Friend
Both Male and Female
Catholic, Protestant and Others
Both Visionary and Builders of the Vision
With the Eye of the Weaver you have Chosen Us
Such Different Threads
to be Gathered into Unity
So that the World Might be Changed
Our Staff
Mrs Anderson Principal
Mrs Harbinson Vice Principal (Care, Welfare and Learning)
Mr Thompson Senior Teacher
Mrs E Cordner College Bursar
Ms L Belshaw, Mr W Cochrane, Mrs D Daly, Miss S Devlin, Mrs J Gibson, Mrs J Kelly, Mrs H Lennon, Mrs A Lennon-Malone, Ms R Lindsay, Mrs N McDowell, Ms A Monaghan, Mrs V Morton, Mrs E Sands, Ms J Smith, Mrs S Sweet, Miss J McDowell, Miss L Campbell, Miss P Hamilton, Miss S Maginness, Mrs N Cone, Miss M Connolly
Mrs E Lennon (Principal’s Secretary)
Mrs D Canniford (Pastoral Secretary)
Mrs A Annett (College Secretary)
Mrs J McKeown (Finance/Exams Officer)
Mrs J Ward (College Librarian)
Mr T McGrath
Mr D Barker
Mrs S Kennedy, Mrs L Magill, Mrs S Moffitt, Mrs Á Mooney, Mrs S Taggart
Ms C Gonzalez (Manageress)
Mrs J Johnston (Assistant Cook)
Mrs L Burns, Mrs H Brown, Mrs C Finnegan, Mrs S Moffitt