A COLLEGE operating for just two full years has achieved the best set of GCSE results among non-grammar schools.
St Kevin's College in Lisnaskea was formed through the amalgamation of the former St Comhghall's in the town and St Eugene's in Roslea.
It promises pupils a caring, respectful atmosphere where they can develop skills and talents to leave with "high self-esteem, qualifications and the self-confidence to face the adult world".
Last year, about nine in every 10 pupils achieved the government benchmark of five GCSEs at A*-C including the core subjects of English and maths.
Details are included with the publication by The Irish News today of the latest schools performance lists.
They feature the 50 non-grammars with the highest proportion of pupils achieving five or more GCSEs at grades A* to C including English and maths in 2018/19.
Improving literacy and numeracy is a key aim of Stormont executive. A long-established goal has been to increase the overall proportion of pupils with at least five GCSEs at A*-C, including GCSEs in maths and English, by the time they leave school.
St Kevin's has moved up one place this year compared to last. The two former schools which merged into St Kevin's had both previously topped the non-grammar table.
Principal Gary Kelly said the strong results showed the amalgamation had been a success.
"We have been amalgamated for two years and it has gone extremely well. You would think the school has been amalgamated for 20 years. Both sets of staff and pupils have come together famously," he said.
"We had been worried about how amalgamation might affect overall standards but the staff have put a lot of hard work into teaching and learning in the last two years to make this school as good, if not better, than the two previous schools.
"We focus on the five including English and maths. The whole way through the school there is a lot of work that goes into supporting literacy and numeracy and identifying issues early, by the time students are in Year 9 or 10. They can then go on to achieve five A*-C including English and maths."
Another relatively new merged school - St Killian's in Carnlough - was second overall just ahead of St Patrick's College in Maghera.
A significant improvement in exam results at St Mary's High School in Downpatrick saw it leap to fourth place. There, 83.1 per cent achieved the benchmark, up from 64 per cent in 2017/18 and 34 per cent in 2015/16.
The highest placed non-Catholic school was Newtownhamilton High. With an enrolment of 200, it has been identified by the Education Authority as serving an isolated minority community in south Armagh.
It has developed a successful shared education partnership with St Paul's in Bessbrook, St Joseph's in Crossmaglen and Newry High with pupils regularly sharing classrooms over different sites on an almost daily basis.
"I pay tribute to our pupils, parents and staff for working together to achieve this latest set of successful GCSE statistics," principal Neil Megaw said.
"It is important to note that this success story contains many grades from our shared education partnership arrangements which provides a greater subject choice for our pupils at Key Stage 4. These collaborations have also helped to greatly improve relationships within the local south Armagh area with many pupils from all four schools now participating in community based T:BUC (Together Building United Communities) programmes."
The Department of Education has said examination data should not provide a valid basis for comparing performance between schools.
It adds that no single measurement can constitute a fair or accurate evaluation of a school, but should be considered in the context of other information about a school and its pupils.
Minister Peter Weir told The Irish News he had no plans to bring official tables back.
