ELLERSLIE SECONDARY SCHOOL is continuing on its growth path of excellence.
This was revealed yesterday as Principal, Lieutenant Colonel Errol Brathwaite, addressed the school’s speech day and prize-giving ceremony at the Western Light Church of the Nazarene in Oxnard’s, St James.
Although acknowledging there were some areas they would want to continue to develop and try to improve as best they could, he said Ellerslie continued to show growth in its overall performance.
Highlighting the CSEC results, Lieutenant Colonel Brathwaite said overall performance in Agricultural Science moved from 29 per cent in 2015 to 71.4 per cent; in Building Technology/Woodwork, the school continued on a steady journey of 80 per cent; and it improved performance in Caribbean History, moving from 40 per cent in 2015 to 62.5 per cent.
Electronic Document Preparation and Management, he stressed, shifted from 61 per cent in 2015 to 83.8 per cent in 2016, while English A went from 64 per cent to 70.5 per cent and Food and Nutrition from 89 per cent to 93.9 per cent.
While stating that 15 students had six or more passes at one sitting, Lieutenant Colonel Brathwaite singled out Taye Hinds-Brathwaite for passing eight CSECs at one sitting. And, he added that while many people focused on challenges and negatives, his school was working with its staff, students, parents and Board of Management to resolve “our issues”.
“This is a day of celebration. I am not going to waste time talking about the negativity when there is so much positive to promote at Ellerslie,” the principal remarked, disclosing that the school would continue to work towards the introduction of a sixth form.
Addressing other achievements, he noted that in June 2015, the school was certified as a Caribbean Vocational Qualification (CVQ) Centre.
Calling it a “very important realisation” for the school, he said students are now able to pursue CVQ training in Commercial Food Preparation and Cookery. He said shortly they would be adding Crop Production and Amenities Horticulture to this list, as well as some technical and vocational disciplines.
He also pointed out that in that same month, Ellerslie was approved for one of the Schools Improvement Grants under the Skills For the Future Program in the amount of BDS $60 000.
“The receipt of this grant provided an ideal opportunity for the school to focus on student development in three disciplines. We targeted specifically those at-risk students who needed to have an extra type of discipline…,” Lieutenant Colonel Brathwaithe stated, noting that Crop Production, Mathematics and Commercial Food Preparation and Cookery were emphasised.
The Principal concluded by noting that student development and learning were critical components to the continued success of schools in their delivery of a quality education product. The 50-year old institution, he said, could boast of many successes in this respect. (BGIS)
