I am delighted that you have taken time to visit our website. We are currently re-populating the information and updating information as traffic here has increased over the past number of months.
We have announced that we had achieved Apple Distinguished School status and there is lots of information about it on our website. The main reason for pursuing this recognition was to show the world the great work that St Joseph’s College Coalisland is doing in incorporating digital technology into learning and teaching. Since we introduced 1:1 iPads, our learning environment has evolved and our outcomes and academics, have improved dramatically. But that is not the only difference in the past 10 years. Our enrolment has increased and as a result we have worked in partnership with our students to ensure we offer a curriculum that meets their needs and matches the prospects of further education or employment in our local or global community. Our pathways begin when our new Year 8s pupils start their induction and we keep a close eye on how they are doing in class, how they feel as young people and offer opportunities to represent the College in sport, in STEM, in music and on stage. We work closely with our parents and carers and have made the decision to offer as many extra curricular opportunities to deliver after school catch up and revision classes to make home life a little less stressful.
St Joseph's College is a Catholic School which has been serving the community of Coalisland and surrounding areas for over 50 years. As a Catholic school we place great emphasis on the Christian values of truth, integrity, compassion, kindness, leadership and faith development. We are a
a community school recognising the role we have in making Coalisland and the surrounding area as successful and productive as possible: a place where everyone is given a chance to contribute and show compassion for others- where every child matters!.
At St Joseph's we are committed to developing the whole child. We will endeavour to inspire and nurture our pupils as they develop through their formative years with us. We will share our common Christian values and our College aims through their experience in our school so that they become fulfilled members of their families, community and society in general.
At St Joseph's we have an atmosphere of forward thinking and innovation and we are constantly developing suitable pathways for all our pupils: academic and vocational. No two students are the same; not everyone is academic and while we challenge students who are high achievers and aspire to study degree courses, we are also committed to investigating qualifications and courses within the life skills and vocational arena which will lead to positive apprenticeships or employment in the world of work.
Parents and carers of P6 and P7 pupils are faced with the difficult decision of possibly completing the transfer exam and/or choosing a post primary school. We are in an area with a variety of schools to choose from. However, I strongly urge you to consider your child’s capabilities, not just academically but how they could thrive in a smaller school setting, in an environment where everyone knows your name and all achievements inside and outside of school are recognised. All too often we see pupils looking to transfer and join our school at a later stage, having regretted not attending from Year 8. Our vision and passion to empower the young people of Coalisland and the surrounding areas with life skills in our curriculum and enrichment programme is paramount and will only be truly effective from Year 8.
I hope you enjoy viewing our website and look forward to meeting you on many occasions should your child become a pupil of St Joseph's College.
Every pupil matters, Every child counts.
Mr Desi McNeill
Principal
