Belfast High School

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Belfast High School
Address
740 Shore Road, Jordanstown Newtownabbey , County Antrim , BT37 0PX Northern Ireland
Coordinates	54°41′12″N 5°52′36″W / 54.68678302189467°N 5.876565727605159°W / 54.68678302189467; -5.876565727605159
Information
Other name	BHS
Type	Voluntary grammar school
Established	1854 (1854)
Founder	John Pyper
Local authority	Education Authority
Principal	Charlotte Weir[1]
Gender	Co-educational
Houses	Boyd   Pyper   Storey   Watson
Colour(s)	Blue and Yellow
Website	www.belfasthigh.org.uk

Belfast High School (BHS) is a co-educational voluntary grammar school in Jordanstown, Newtownabbey, County Antrim, Northern Ireland.^[2] It was established in 1854 and is within the North Eastern Region of the Education Authority.

In May 2007, it was awarded Specialist Status in Languages^[3] and in March 2012, it has been recognised as one of only six post-primary schools in Northern Ireland to be in the top 10% for performance at both GCSE and A-level.^[4]

The institution now known as Belfast High School opened in 1854. In 1874, it moved to new premises at Glenravel Street, Belfast. Since the school was founded, there have been 7 head teachers:

• (1854–1867) John Pyper, who established the school as Pyper Academy, before changing its name to the Belfast Mercantile Academy shortly thereafter.
• (1867–1917) James Pyper, the school's longest-serving headmaster. He was responsible for the building of what the Ulster Star described as "Mr Pyper's splendid new seminary"^[5] in Glenravel Street.
• (1917–1937) Spring Pyper
• (1938–1966) Dr Robert Harte, who changed the school's name to its current title. Under his headship the school purchased Ardilea House, a large 19th-century villa in Jordanstown, in 1953. Between then and 1963, when the entire school re-located from Glenravel Street, its then Vice-Principal, Harry Towell, headed a small suburban campus at the site. The house now forms the administration block, containing the staff room, sick bay, and offices of the principal, her secretary, the bursar and vice-principal. Dr Harte suffered a severe stroke in 1964 and his son acted as temporary head until the appointment of Mr Dunlop in 1966. Dr Harte was a Doctor of Philosophy and an eminent classical scholar.
• (1966–1987) Samuel H Dunlop, who saw the building of a new science block (1970), the closure of Somerton House (the school's preparatory department) in 1981 and the enlargement of the school library (1980s)
• (1987–2006) Stephen R Hilditch, who saw the Harte Building opened in the 1990s to house Home Economics, Careers, Technology, ICT and a science lab, the refurbishment of the science block (2001–2003) and the refurbishment and enlargement of the Music Department
• (2006–2018) Lynn F Gormley, who saw the installation of a state-of-the-art sports and fitness building which was opened by Dame Mary Peters in 2016.
• (2018–present) Charlotte Weir, who had previously served as Acting Head Teacher and Deputy Head Teacher.

The school has a house system. The tie a pupil wears is blue with a thick yellow band pattern, and a thinner band pattern of an additional colour representing the pupil's house.

The houses and their colours are as follows:

• Boyd (green)
• Pyper (blue)
• Storey (red)
• Watson (yellow)

The four main sports at Belfast High are rugby, hockey, netball and cricket.^[6]

Aside from the four main sports, Belfast High students take part in association football, gymnastics, swimming, volleyball, basketball, badminton, athletics, tennis, softball, and power walking.^[7]

Two sixth-form students represent the school as Sports Ambassadors to encourage participation in sports among students.^[8]

• Steve Aiken, Member of the Northern Irish Assembly
• George Cassidy, former Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham
• Tommy Cassidy, Northern Ireland international footballer, who played for Newcastle United and Burnley
• Edward Samuel Wesley de Cobain, MP, disgraced Conservative politician
• Fred Henderson, Socialist writer
• George MacDowell Kane, Artist and sculptor
• Alex Crawford, international footballer: Distillery and Cliftonville right-half and Captain of Ireland in 1880s and 1890s
• Jonny Evans, Manchester United and Northern Ireland international football player
• Sir Ronnie Flanagan, retired Chief Inspector of Constabulary, Northern Ireland
• Alan McNeill, professional football player
• Stephen Rea, film actor
• Mark McCrea, Ulster rugby player
• Maurice Field, former Ulster and Ireland rugby player
• Paul Stirling, Ireland cricketer
• Sinéad Morrissey, poet
• Harold Miller Church of Ireland Bishop of Down.

• List of grammar schools in Northern Ireland

• Official website