Thank you for taking a look at our school website. In the following pages, you will see what our school stands for and what, under God, we have been able to achieve since its commencement in 1988.
We are thankful to God for the vision that parents and others had to see the need for a Christian school to be started, and with the passing of time, it does seem even more needful in our day and generation.
Administrator, A. Patterson
Our school is situated in ‘The Kingdom of Mourne’, an area of outstanding natural beauty. With such a backdrop as the Mourne Mountains, it is an everyday reminder to our children of the Great Creator, God, Who made all things and Who sustains all things.
Ethos
The ethos of our school is Christian, based upon principles that are found in God’s Word: where the children are taught that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge {Proverbs 1:7}; where they are taught to recognise the gifts and talents that God has given them and that each has a responsibility to develop them for His honour and glory; where the children are taught self-discipline; and, where they are encouraged to respect one another.
Atmosphere in the School
Our children are being educated in a Christian environment where all our teaching staff have a personal saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, and who are a godly example to the students placed under their charge.
The verse above the board in a primary classroom says: ‘For of Him, and through Him, and to Him are all things, to whom be glory for ever’ {Romans 11:36}. This verse summarises all that takes place in a Christian school. It is a Christ-centred vision that we have for our pupils. We encourage them to see a God of order in the numeracy class and to speak openly about the things of God as part of our natural conversation.
Not long ago, a Year 1 discussion during lunch was heard. The Literacy flashcards were still on the board; they read ‘I will help you’. One pupil commented that that was what the Lord said to us when we were doing our work. This led on to a discussion about God. A little girl said, “God sees us all the time, even when the teacher or our mummy and daddy can’t see us!” Another pupil then commented, “Well, I know one thing for sure – He’ll not allow sin into heaven.”
We are encouraged that, even when they are not aware that we are listening to them, they are, at four years old, conscious of some great Bible truths.
We have often heard the pupils discuss the summary verse for the Classroom Guides: “And be ye kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one-another, even as God, for Christ’s sake, hath forgiven you” {Eph 4:32}.
It is our aim that the principles they learn in this environment will remain with them throughout life, making them not only good citizens, but a ‘Godly seed’, serving their own generation well.
The pupils are taught to honour the Lord and not to question the authority of His Word. The Lord’s Name is reverenced and all reading material is vetted, with inappropriate language, or where the Lord’s Name is taken in vain, removed. As well as this, teachers have much greater control over the choice of texts for study in GCSE English Language and English Literature since the new specifications were introduced.
We have the opportunity to hear the Word of God twice daily, as well as its permeating every subject. Scripture classes further involve the children memorising Bible verses.
Inspector’s Report
MICS is outside the state education sector and is free from any government interference or funding. However, we are inspected by the Department. Our most recent Inspector’s report stated:
A Christian tradition permeates the life and work of the school and there is a strong family ethos and sense of community. The pupils display exemplary standards of behaviour. They are courteous and welcoming to visitors, work well in class independently and in groups and are responsive to their teachers: they are very caring towards one another. The teachers celebrate the pupils’ achievements and class work, including art and written work, which are attractively displayed in classrooms; often, displays are used to support learning.
The teachers plan their work meticulously to match work carefully and meet appropriately the academic needs of each child. In classes, there is a high degree of support for individual children.
Also, the School Inspector commented that he had not seen such an extensive range of ICT offered right throughout a secondary school before, commending our pupils for the high standard of qualifications they were gaining before they left school.
