PRESS RELEASE

Date: 23/02/15

Addressing Achievement in a Connected Way

Last Wednesday, 17/2/2016, West Belfast Partnership Board (WBPB) and Chairs of the West
Belfast Post Primary and Primary Area Learning Communities presented before the Stormont
Assembly Committee on Education. Following the Education Committees highly successful visit
to West Belfast Partnership Board in April 2013 acquaintances were renewed in Parliament
Buildings.
The presentation, entitled Working and Addressing Underachievement was delivered by West
Belfast Partnership Board CEO Geraldine McAteer, Education Programme Manager Angela
Mervyn, and local Principals Frank Maskey (Corpus Christi College) and Mairead Weir (St
Josephs Primary School), who chair the West Belfast Post Primary and Primary Area Learning
Communities respectively.
Following brief introductions, Education Committee Chair, Peter Weir MLA, welcomed the
delegation. As a starting point, WBPB had presented the committee with a detailed briefing
paper, detailing the vast array of current programmes, including engagement with local schools
and community organisations and partnerships with Nursery, Primary and Post Primary Area
Learning Communities, as well as the flagship annual Maths and English GCSE Easter School.
West Belfast Partnership Board (WBPB) identifies education as a top priority area to be
addressed in order to improve the life chances of children, young people and their families and
develop sustainable social and economic neighbourhood regeneration and renewal.
Representatives from West Belfast took this opportunity to deliver a good news story about how
community development partnership structures can facilitate collective agreement for change
through dissemination of good practice, self- evaluation and networking, leading to increased
educational attainment in the local area.
Geraldine McAteer CEO explained The Easter School has been designed to address a specific
learning need for GCSE Maths and English students by providing a targeted and focused

learning support programme, outside of school hours. On behalf of WBPB I would like to thank
St Marys University College and all the teachers involved for their support in running this
programme. I also commend the students who attend the programme. They are a credit to both
their schools and to West Belfast.

In 2010, the percentage of school leavers in the West Belfast constituency achieving 5 GCSE
Grade A*- C including English & Maths was 37.7% whereas the NI average is 62%. (NISRA
2010).
In 2015 the percentage in West Belfast Post Primary Area Learning Community schools
achieving 5 GCSE Grade A*- C including English & Maths was 61.3%, an increase of 10.6%
since 2013 and 45.4% specifically for those students entitled to Free School Meals, an increase
of 14.3% since 2013.
Education representatives in the West Belfast area felt that this was an excellent example of
how working collectively through establishment of robust partnerships has enabled educational
improvement and helped our children and young people in the West Belfast area be the best
they can possibly be.
Geraldine McAteer CEO said One of our most robust partnerships is with St Marys
University College who work with us each year to deliver the Easter School, which has
been designed to address a specific learning need for GCSE Maths and English students
by providing a targeted and focused learning support programme, outside of school
hours. On behalf of WBPB I would like to thank St Marys University College and all the
teachers involved for their support in running this programme. I also commend the
students who attend the programme. They are a credit to both their schools and to West
Belfast.
Members of the Education Committee commended the work of the West Belfast Partnership
Board, local schools and community and acknowledged that work currently being undertaken in
West Belfast is a flagship example of how partnership working can really make a difference to
educational achievement in areas of deprivation.
Angela Mervyn, Education Programme Manager, West Belfast Partnership Board said
Presenting to the Education Committee in Stormont was a fantastic opportunity to share
a good news story about the positive impact that working collectively has had in terms
of educational attainment for our children and young people in west Belfast. Our schools
and community organisations have children at the heart of everything we do and this is
evident when we see a 14.3% increase in GCSE attainment in the last 3 years. In west

Belfast we have a partnership model which is not only an example of best practice but an
example of next practice.

Local MLA, Pat Sheehan, a member of the Assembly Education Committee, who attended the
presentation noted It was a positive, uplifting presentation that was widely praised and
should be highlighted as a great example of best practice in tackling educational
underachievement.

Easter School applications are currently open to all Year 12 students resident or attending
schools in West Belfast, who are predicted Grade C or below.
Application forms are available in West Belfast schools, the West Belfast Partnership Board
offices and on the website address http://www.westbelfast-partnership.com/

ENDS
For media enquiries please contact:
Kevin Mc Gourty, Communications & Website Officer at the West Belfast Partnership Board
T: 028 90 809 202

E: Kevin@wbpb.org

NOTES TO EDITOR
The West Belfast Partnership Board
The West Belfast Partnership Board is a broad based social partnership with community,
statutory, political and business members who are dedicated to the regeneration of West
Belfast. Key areas of work include economic development, housing, planning and environment,
health and wellbeing, jobs taskforce, education, neighbourhood renewal and strategic
regeneration.