ABOUT THE PRINCIPAL: MR J.S. STEVENSON

Mr Stevenson came to Sullivan Upper School as Principal in 1998 having taught for over twenty years in Dalriada School, Ballymoney. A graduate in zoology from University College London Mr Stevenson taught biology to A level and at Sullivan has contributed to the human physiology component of AS and A2 Physical Education and continues to teach a Bioethics module to year 13 students as part of the General Studies Programme.

Mr Stevenson was born in Belfast and attended Donegal Road Primary School where he took and failed the “qualifying examination” which was the forerunner to the 11+ and transfer tests. After a year at Fane Street Secondary School he was successful in the review examinations and transferred to Annadale Grammar School in 1963 where he began again in first form.   In 1968 Mr Stevenson was awarded the Belfast Education Authority scholarship to Atlantic College in South Wales.  There he was the Northern Ireland representative at the first United World College which has now grown into a global organisation of international sixth form colleges of which Mr Stevenson is the Northern Ireland chairman.  After taking A levels and International Baccalaureate exams at Atlantic College Mr Stevenson went to London as an undergraduate.  After university he briefly worked for the Notting Hill Housing Association in London and was an Adventure Playground leader for the Kensington and Chelsea Play Association before returning to Northern Ireland in 1974. 

As an exective member of the Association of School and College Leaders (Northern Ireland), and a recent past chair of the South Eastern Education and Library Board, Mr Stevenson has contributed to the wider education community.  He was part of the steering group which drafted the guidance for planning Educational Visits in Northern Ireland, and contributed to the Drugs Education Policy and Procedures produced by CCEA for Northern Ireland Schools.

Mr Stevenson has an Advanced Diploma in Education from the University of Ulster and an M.A. in Education from the Open University.  He is married with two children : his wife Pamela works for the Northern Ireland Housing Executive and his two children, Jennifer and Peter are both ex-Sullivan pupils who after graduating now live and work in Newcastle-Upon –Tyne.