Wallace High School, Lisburn

Wallace High School is a co-educational voluntary grammar school situated in Lisburn, Northern Ireland.

It was founded in Lisburn in 1880 by a bequest from the estate of Sir Richard Wallace, local landowner and MP, as the Lisburn Intermediate and University School on a site fronting the Antrim Road. A board of trustees took charge in 1900 to oversee the development of the growing school and, when they renamed it in 1942 in memory of its founder, they adopted the word "Esperance" as the school's motto from the Wallace coat of arms.

The post-war years witnessed rapid growth in pupil numbers and consequent accommodation provision. Land was purchased at Clonevin Park, initially for playing fields, and when the Antrim Road site proved inadequate, the decision was taken to build a new school in these extensive grounds.

Pupils and staff moved to the new building in 1976, and a programme of continuing development has ensured that the school still provides well resourced teaching areas and excellent sports facilities for some 1160 pupils in the Grammar School and 200 in the Preparatory Department.

Academically consistently amongst the strongest grammar schools, it was previously noted for men's hockey. It has recently enjoyed strong performances in the Ulster Rugby Schools Cup, reaching the final in 1989, 1994, 2003, and 2007. Also in rugby, they won the second's Cup in 2007, defeating Cambell 9-5 in the final. Wallace has also has regular sporting success in Badminton, Cricket and Netball.

Only a very small minority of pupils hail from the Catholic or Irish Nationalist traditions. The Union Flag sometimes flies outside the school, and the British National Anthem is played at some school occasions.

The current principal is Mrs Anne McBride . Wallace High School has a proven record of excellence in a range of subjects and is one of the leading ICT schools in the province.

Notable Alumni

• Shauna Lowry : TV Personality
• Gordon Burns : TV Quiz host

Other Alumni

• Fergus Nelson - Principal STI collector at Mansfield College, Oxford
• Mark McClean - One half of the famous "Team Spitroast".
• Grant Turnbull - Famous Northern Irish model for Department Stores Dunnes, Primark, Tesco and Asda.