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Ballycastle High School

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33 Rathlin Road, Ballycastle, BT54 6LD

Non-selective · Mixed · Controlled

Pupils
389
Year 8
65
Council
Causeway Coast and Glens

Your chances

against these criteria.

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

  1. Pupils with a sibling currently attending the school, allocated first.
  2. Pupils from contributory primary schools, regardless of academic attainment.
  3. Pupils from other primary schools within the historic catchment, a 10 mile radius of the school.
  4. Pupils from other primary schools beyond the catchment area.
  5. Tie-break: pupils whose surname begins with a given initial letter, in a fixed published letter order.

The school's criteria

Getting in

Usually has spare places

Everyone who put it first was offered a place in 2026/27 (62 children).

Applications per place (all preferences): 0.7 in 2024/25, 0.6 in 2025/26, 0.8 in 2026/27.

Results for its intake

Expected about 64%, got 54.5% (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
2024/25925311064
2025/2692429253
2026/2792628272

In 2026/27, 62 of the 62 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
26.5%
Special educational needs
50 pupils (17 with a statement)
Has Years 13 and 14
Yes
Area
Urban

Religious background of pupilsProtestant 74.6%, Catholic 5.4%, other or none 20.1%

Exam results (2024/25)

5+ GCSEs A* to C, with English and maths
54.5%
5+ GCSEs A* to C
65.2%
3+ A-levels A* to C
44.4%
2+ A-levels A* to E
100%
Year 12 pupils counted
66
A-level pupils counted
18

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

Admissions

From the school's admissions criteria for September 2026.

Year 8 places: 92 (whole school: 460)

Applications and admissions in recent years
YearPlacesApplications (all preferences)Admitted
2023/24925151
2024/25926969
2025/26926365

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

School's note: *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. (SPiMS = Specialist Provision in Mainstream School)

Does not use transfer test results in its admissions criteria.

Sources

DENI reference 3210124

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