Creative use of funding for everyone in the school community

Ken Perry, principal of Dundonald High School (DHS) in Northern Ireland (NI), offers a look at the school’s use of funding

Our school has grown considerably over the past ten years, from 156 pupils in 2013 to a current enrolment of 620.

Some of the main reasons for this are our caring ethos, strong pastoral background and good community links.

The staff promote the school motto ‘A caring school at the heart of the community’. We try to ensure that all pupils are accepting of cultural diversity, treated with equality and have a sense of belonging.

Like many other schools in Northern Ireland, Dundonald High

School embraces the Department of Education’s (DE) Extended Schools funding (bit.ly/3WXBzoW) to facilitate additional curricular and extracurricular activities and support pupil learning, development and wellbeing.

Our extended schools coordinator and teacher, Ashleigh Robinson, and I recently implemented a creative idea to maximise the Extended Schools funding in a twofold way. We support the community through the new ‘Dundonald Star Singers Community Choir’, which subsequently enables us to facilitate a complimentary breakfast club to benefit pupils.

Ken has been principal of Dundonald High School (DHS) an allability, non-selective, 11–16 school in East Belfast, Northern Ireland (NI), for ten years. He was previously the school SENCO and is also a past pupil.

The choir meets every Wednesday evening in the school. There are about 50 members, current and retired staff, past pupils, parents and members of the wider community, with a range of age and musical ability. It is an inclusive environment where everyone shares their mutual love of singing. We sing pieces from across all musical genres, enjoy old favourites, learn new songs and harmonies, make new friends and have fun.

The Extended Schools funding covers the costs for facilitating the choir, then weekly voluntary donations from choir members are used to provide toast and juice free of charge at the Breakfast Club, where pupils enjoy socialising, reading, listening to music, playing games and completing homework.

The choir has already performed for audiences to raise additional funds for DHS. Now we also want to support local charities and are planning a fundraising concert to purchase an electrically adjustable chair for the Cardiology Department at the Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast.

I am very grateful for choir members’ generosity, and remember, everyone is welcome to join!