Congratulations to the Year 12 football team who defeated St. Columbanus, Bangor 9-0 in the First Round of the U16 NI Cup. Goals from Cai Collins (3), Jamie Harpur (2), Luke Hill (2), Jaydn Simms and Alexander McGladdery. Ballyclare will play Bangor Academy in the next round. Well done boys!

Congratulations to the Year 8 football team who defeated All Saints 8 -1 in the First Round of the U16 NI Cup. Goals from Kobi Hall (4), Riley Brown (2) and Jacob Holland (2). Ballyclare will play Breda Academy in the next round. Well done boys!

School will finish early (by 12 noon) on the following dates for Parent Consultations to run from 1:00pm – 3:00pm. Information on booking the Year 12 Parent Consultation meetings is on our Parent Weekly Communication, check Sims Parent App or the school website. There will be no buses on these days.

Pupils at our school had a fantastic time celebrating the richness of languages and cultures across Europe as part of the European Day of Languages. The pupils were able to enjoy a delicious taste of France with freshly made crêpes—warm, sweet, and utterly irresistible! This annual celebration is a wonderful opportunity to explore new languages, appreciate cultural diversity, and enjoy a shared experience through food. Vive la langue française!

Potato Harvest Success: Our team gathered a bountiful potato harvest, which was donated to HE for cooking. An example of sustainability in action – from garden to kitchen!

Floral Displays: Floral Displays were created and designed, with Kerry McPherson (Year 12) taking lead, to support the Macmillan Coffee Morning.

CALLING ALL BUSINESS OWNERS AND/OR EMPLOYEES OF ORGANISATIONS TO HELP US RAISE FUNDS FOR CASH FOR KIDS

Exciting times....we applied to be part of Cash for Kids this year and found out on Wednesday 24th September 2025 that our application was successful! Our application detailed that we would like to raise money for a covered outdoor area, tables for lunchtimes and for every Year 8 pupil to enjoy a free Christmas dinner together.

The fundraising period starts today and runs for 4 weeks.

At this point, we're reaching out to our school community via business owners and/or employees of organisations who can help us raise as much money as possible. We are 1 of 7 schools and the top fundraising school will get an additional £5000 added to the amount raised.

Businesses can donate to the school via the link or sponsor school by pledging to match amounts raised or by having coffee mornings or other fundraising events with the funds coming to school/Cash for Kids, and/or placing donation buckets in your place of work.

It would be FANTASTIC to have as many people/businesses supporting us as possible.

If you are able to support us or would like to chat about any ideas that you have, please phone the school office on 02893322610 to speak with Mrs Shingleton.

Information coming soon for families and individuals to support us.

Follow the link to donate - https://www.cashforkidsgive.co.uk//campaign/cash-for-kids-schools-challenge-northern-ireland-2025/fundraisers/ballyclare-secondary-school/

Please find below our Weekly Communication Bulletin for Parents and Carers, and other important information, which has been sent out to you via Sims App.

On Saturday our Show jumping team attended the first show of the Meadows Equestrian Interschools league.

Our 85cm team completed against other post primary schools from across Northern Ireland. The team completed on 4 faults finishing 9th. Well done to Ana Goodrich, Evie McCracken, Daniel Stewart and Kristianne Lyttle.

The next date is the 4th October and we welcome more riders to join us!

Contact Ms. Oliver in the PE Department to find out more!

We are proud to introduce our newly qualified Peer Mentors for the 2025–26 school year. These dedicated pupils have successfully completed a 10-week training programme delivered by the EA Youth Service, gaining their OCN Level 1 qualification in Peer Mentoring for Young People.

Equipped with valuable skills in communication, empathy, and support, our Peer Mentors will play a vital role in promoting pupil wellbeing across the school. They will help deliver lessons focused on emotional health, resilience, and positive relationships, while also offering peer-to-peer support to fellow students.

Their commitment to fostering a caring and inclusive school environment makes them an inspiring example of student leadership in action.