Staff & Governors

There are over 80 fully-qualified members of the teaching staff; appropriate support staff are also employed by the Governors.

 

Staff 2025-2026

 

TEACHING STAFF

PRINCIPAL

S.W. BLACK

DEPUTY PRINCIPAL

R. ROSS

 

VICE-PRINCIPALS 

T.M. McLEISTER
N. PATTERSON
 

 

AGRICULTURE

Miss L. CLOTWORTHY – Head of Department

Miss A. DOYLE – Pastoral Advisor Year 10

W. STEEN
 

 

ART & DESIGN

Mrs R.A. REID – Head of Department

Mrs G. HALLAM – Pastoral and Learning Support Year 14

Mrs R. JOHNSTON

Mrs H. GRAHAM

 
 

 

BIOLOGY

Dr G. PYPER – Head of Department and Senior Teacher

Mrs C. McCULLOUGH

Mrs C. OAKES – Head of Year 13

Mrs J. McFARLAND – Career Break

Mrs C. LOUW

Miss L. CLOTWORTHY

Mrs N. KERR

Mrs T. McLEISTER

 

 

CAREERS DEPARTMENT

D. ROSS – Head of Department

Mrs R. MATCHETT – S.E.N. Co-Ordinator

P.F. REID

Mrs C. LOUW

Miss K. WYLIE – Pastoral Advisor Year 9

Mrs. L. LIGGAT – Pastoral Advisor Year 12

Mrs G. HALLAM – Pastoral and Learning Support Year 14

Mrs C. HARRIS – Pastoral and Learning Support Year 13

G. PATTERSON – Careers Technician

 

 

CHEMISTRY

M.F.R. CHRISTIE – Head of Department

Mrs S.A. MONTEITH

Miss T. BASSETT

J. PEDLOW

Mrs T. McLEISTER

 

 

CLASSICAL CIVILISATION

P. SCULLION – Head of Department
R. HAYES
 

 

CONSTRUCTION & THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT

T. HEANEY
Mrs C. McNEILLY
 

 

DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY/ICT

L. GOURLEY – Head of Department

K. MOORE

Mrs V. WALKER

A. BLACOE – Pastoral Advisor Year 8

D. McCLELLAND

 

 

DRAMA AND PERFORMING ARTS

Miss D. Reynolds – Head of Department

 

 

ECONOMICS AND BUSINESS STUDIES

D. BALDWIN – Head of Department

A. MOORE – Head of Year 11

 

Mrs L. CREITH – Career Break

Mrs. V. WALKER

 

ENGINEERING

T. HEANEY

Miss K. WYLIE – Pastoral Advisor Year 9

 

 

ENGLISH

Mrs J.CRAIG – Head of English and English Literature

Mrs R.C. COULTER – Head of Media Studies

Mrs L. NELSON

Mrs L.J.HUNTER

Mrs D. MURRAY

Mrs. A. DOUGLAS – Assistant S.E.N. Co-Ordinator

Mrs J. ADAM

R. HAYES

Miss R. HAMILTON

D. ROSS – Head of Careers

P. SCULLION

 

 

ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY

M. WALKER

 

 

GEOGRAPHY

Miss G.E. ALLEN – Head of Department

Mrs L. LIGGAT – Pastoral Advisor Year 12

Miss A. DOYLE – Pastoral Advisor Year 10
 

 

GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS

P. SCULLION – Head of Department

D. ROSS – Head of Careers

A. MUNCE – Examinations Officer

 

 

HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE

Miss A. FRY – Head of Department

Miss E. FORSYTHE – Head of Year 8

Mrs A. McDONALD

Mrs L. DOHERTY

Miss C. FEATHERSTONE

Miss A. DOYLE – Pastoral Advisor Year 10

 

 

HISTORY

Mrs S. SHAW – Head of Department

N. PATTERSON – Vice Principal

Mrs L. ROBINSON – Head of Year 10 and Member of SLT

A. BLACOE – Pastoral Advisor Year 8

Mrs R. JOHNSTON

Mrs A. HANNAWIN

D. ROSS – Head of Careers

 

 

HOME ECONOMICS

Miss A. FRY – Head of Department

Ms. E. FORSYTHE – Head of Year 8

Mrs K. PEDLOW

Mrs A. McDONALD

Mrs L. DOHERTY

 

 

MATHEMATICS

J.A. DONNELLY – Head of Department

G. MURRAY

T.M. McLEISTER – Head of Sixth Form, Vice Principal

D. HUSTON

Mrs A. McCARRY

Dr A.A. LIVINGSTON

Mrs C.HARRIS – Pastoral and Learning Support Year 13

Mrs H. MacCORKELL

T. BELL

A. MUNCE – Examinations Officer

Miss A. WILKINSON

 

 

MODERN LANGUAGES

Mrs R. McVEA – Head of French

Mrs A. MARTINEZ-LINARES – Head of Spanish

Mrs K. McCANN – Head of German

Miss C.E. McALLISTER – Head of Year 12

Mrs E. STEVENSON

Miss C. FEATHERSTONE

A. MUNCE – Examinations Officer

Mrs R. HAMILL 

E. MARIN – French Assistant

Mrs CONNIE CONDREN – German Assistant

Ms M SERRANO – Spanish Assistant

 

 

MUSIC

Mrs E. CHURCH – Head of Department and Member of SLT

B. THOMPSON

Instrumental Tutors

Mrs L. ANDREWS

S BEATTIE

Ms R. DURSTON

Mrs S. GILLAN

 

Miss A. WILKINSON

 

 

C. McGAHEY

Mrs J. MOORE

J. OWENS

G. MURRAY

 

 

OCCUPATIONAL STUDIES

T. HEANEY

P. REID

S. JOHNSTON – Head of Year 9

 

 

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

Miss D. McNEILL – Head of Department

Mrs N. TAGGART – Pastoral Advisor Year 11

J. NICHOLL – School Fundraiser and Director of Rugby

S. JOHNSTON – Head of Year 9

D. McCLELLAND – Head of Boys’ Physical Education

Mrs M. GLASS

Mrs K. REID
 

 

PHYSICS

W. KERR – Head of Department

Dr C.M. DONNELLY – Senior Teacher

Mrs C. SIMPSON – Head of Year 14

Miss K. WYLIE – Pastoral Advisor Year 9

Miss E. HERON – Head of Applied Science

Mrs A. McKENDRY – Career Break

 

 

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

Miss E. GREER – Head of Department

R. ROSS – Deputy Principal

Mrs R. MATCHETT – S.E.N. Co-Ordinator

Miss L. ROSS

Mrs E. CHURCH

B. THOMPSON

Miss A. WILKINSON

 

 

TECHNOLOGY

Mrs C. McNEILLY – Head of Department

P.F. REID

A. McCRORY

 

 

SUPPORT STAFF


HEADMASTER’S SECRETARY

Miss M.W. BROWN

SENIOR EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Mrs R. McKAY

 

CLERICAL OFFICERS

Mrs J. BARR

Mrs D. McBURNEY

Mrs J. MILLAR

Mrs R. McGLONE

Mrs P. MURPHY

G. PATTERSON

 

MAINTENANCE OFFICER

P. McCULLOUGH

RESOURCES CO-ORDINATOR (COMPUTING)

J. ARMSTRONG

 

LEARNING SUPPORT ASSISTANTS

Mrs J. LOGAN

Ms L. SPEIRS

P. CONNOR

MRS L. CALDERWOOD

MRS S. LOWRY

MRS T. MONTGOMERY

Ms M. GORMLEY

G. HARPUR

A. CHURCH

A. LAMONT

Mrs J. GREGG

Miss C. ROBINSON

 

LIBRARIAN/ CAREERS TECHNICIAN

G. PATTERSON

REPROGRAPHIC CLERK

Mrs S. DONNELLY

 

LABORATORY TECHNICIANS

Mrs R. GREEN

J. NEVIN

R. GRAHAM

Mrs J. McMASTER

Mrs C. WITHERSPOON

 

SCHOOL NURSE

Mrs J. GURNEY

SCHOOL MEALS SUPERVISOR

Mrs. R. BOYD

 

 

 

COOKS

Mrs. R. BOYD

Mrs F. SPEERS

Miss R. TEMPLETON

Miss A. KHALIFA

Mrs. C. LORIMER

Mrs. S. LOGAN

Mrs. A. PERRY

Mrs. J. McALLISTER

Mrs. L. SMALL

Mrs. D. LYNESS

Ms. L. REA

Miss S. BYRNE

Mrs. D. McNEILL

Ms. L. BENNETT

Ms. I. NICHOLL

Mrs. M. LIVINGSTONE

Mrs. D. GAMBLE

Mrs. C. McALEESE

Miss L. COTTER

Miss J. FERGUSON

 

 

 

JANITOR

D. SWANN

GROUNDS STAFF

M. CARRUTHERS

V. LINTON

 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
THE BALLYMENA ACADEMY BOARD OF GOVERNORS

Term of Office (January 2025 – December 2028)
other than Subscribers (January 2023 – December 2026)


Dr. D. JOHNSTON, O.B.E., M.B., M.Sc., M.Med.Sc., F.R.C.G.P. [Chairman]

Mrs. J. ALLEN, DL [Vice-Chair]

R. MARSHALL [Secretary]

 

Subscriber Representatives

Mrs. J. ALLEN, DL

Mrs. K. COLLIE, M.A. (CANTAB)

J.M. CRABBE, D.M.S.

Mrs. R. DUFFIN, Cert. Ed.

Dr. D. JOHNSTON, O.B.E., M.B., M.Sc., M.Med.Sc., F.R.C.G.P.

S.J. McLEAN, BA (Hons.)

 

D.E.N.I. Representatives

D.T. ANDREW

Mrs S. CARMICHAEL

Dr. H. FOSTER, F.C.A., B.A. (Hons.), MPA, SFHEA, Ph.D.

Mrs. A. LAUGHLIN, B.A. (Hons.), Adv. Dip. Ed.

R. MARSHALL

J.A. McILRATH, M.B.A., D.A.S.E.

 

Diocesan Council Representatives

Rev. D. CHRISTIE, B.Eng., M.Sc., DIC, MTH

L. CUNNINGHAM

 

Ballymena Presbytery Representatives

Rev. T.D. KANE

Rev. W.J.A. MOODY

Rev. M.J.R. NEILLY, B.A., B.D.

 

Ballymena Borough Council Representatives

J. GIBSON

W. McCAUGHEY

J. MINFORD

 

Parent Representatives

M. CONNAUGHTY, BDS

Dr. A. JOHNSON, B.A. (Hons.), M.A., PhD., PGCE

Mrs. K. McMASTER B.Ed. (Hons.), M.Ed., PQH (NI)

 

Teaching Staff Representatives

A. BLACOE, B.A. (Hons.), M.A., P.G.C.E., P.G.D.H.

Mrs. S. SHAW, B.A., P.G.C.E.

 

Sustaining excellence during a time of change