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Ashfield Boys' High School

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395 Holywood Road, Belfast, BT4 2FN

Non-selective · Boys · Controlled

Pupils
939
Year 8
157
Council
Belfast

Your chances

against these criteria.

How it chooses when it has more applicants than places, in order:

  1. Boy who attends one of 23 named primary schools (listed alphabetically, not by preference).
  2. Boy whose parent or guardian has indicated a first preference for the school.
  3. Boy whose parent or guardian has indicated a second preference for the school.
  4. Boy whose brother or half-brother attends the school.
  5. Boy whose brother or half-brother attended the school.
  6. First boy in the family to transfer to a non-grammar secondary school (evidence required at application).
  7. Boy whose sister or half-sister attends Ashfield Girls’ High School.
  8. If still oversubscribed after criteria 1-7, places go to the boy living closest, measured from home to the school entrance.

The school's criteria

Getting in

Usually has spare places

Everyone who put it first was offered a place in 2026/27 (126 children).

Applications per place (all preferences): 1 in 2024/25, 1 in 2025/26, 1 in 2026/27.

Results for its intake

Expected about 54%, got 59.3% (5+ GCSEs A* to C with English and maths, 2024/25).

0%50%100%0%40%80%Pupils on free school meals
Each dot is a non-selective school with 30 or more Year 12 pupils. The dashed line is what schools usually get at each free school meals level.

Who applied

Applications by the preference families gave the school, and children admitted
YearPlacesPut it 1st2nd3rd or laterAdmitted
2024/2514012874139
2025/2614012294135
2026/2714012675138

In 2026/27, 126 of the 126 children who put it first got a place here.

Each child counts once, at the preference their family gave this school. Figures at the end of the admissions procedure, from the Education Authority's analysis of preferences.

Pupils (October 2025)

Free school meals
43.9%
Special educational needs
267 pupils (143 with a statement)
Has Years 13 and 14
Yes
Area
Urban

Religious background of pupilsProtestant 64.5%, Catholic 4.8%, other or none 30.7%

Exam results (2024/25)

5+ GCSEs A* to C, with English and maths
59.3%
5+ GCSEs A* to C
91.1%
3+ A-levels A* to C
68.6%
2+ A-levels A* to E
93%
Year 12 pupils counted
123
A-level pupils counted
86

Source: Department of Education, SAER 2024/25, Open Government Licence.

Admissions

From the school's admissions criteria for September 2026.

Year 8 places: 140 (whole school: 855)

Applications and admissions in recent years
YearPlacesApplications (all preferences)Admitted
2023/24140178143
2024/25140140140
2025/26140140157

Applications count every family that named the school at any preference, not only first preferences.

School's note: *includes Temporary Variation to admission number granted by DE | **The Total Admissions for year 2025/2026 includes all Year 8 children admitted to the school including those who have a statement of special educational needs and/or may be attending SPiMS.

Does not use transfer test results in its admissions criteria.

Sources

DENI reference 1210015

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