SEAGReady

Ballyclare High School

Save or compare in the school finderFind schools near you

31 Rashee Road, Ballyclare, BT39 9HJ

Grammar · Mixed · Controlled · SEAG member

Pupils
1,247
Year 8
189
Council
Antrim and Newtownabbey

Your chances

against these criteria.

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

  1. Children resident in Northern Ireland at the proposed admission are selected before any child not so resident.
  2. Children who sat the SEAG Entrance Assessments and have a TSAS (or assigned score) are considered before other children.
  3. The first 186 places are allocated by rank order of TSAS, highest first.
  4. If places remain, pupils who did not sit the SEAG assessments are considered next.
  5. Tie-breaker I: children with a child of the family enrolled in the school or accepted for enrolment in 2025.
  6. Tie-breaker II: children who are the eldest or only child of the family.
  7. Tie-breaker III: age of the child, with preference to the eldest child.
  8. Tie-breaker IV: where children share a birthday, rank order is set by the sub-rules (a) to (g).
  9. IV(a): selection by initial letter of birth-certificate surname, in the printed order.
  10. IV(b): where surnames share a first letter, later letters are used alphabetically.
  11. IV(c): where children share a surname, the initial letter of the first forename is used.
  12. IV(d): where first forenames share a first letter, later letters are used alphabetically.
  13. IV(e): where no priority is established alphabetically, the child with the shorter first forename is prioritised.
  14. IV(f): where first forenames are the same, the child with no subsequent forename is prioritised.
  15. IV(g): where still unresolved, steps (c) and (d) are repeated using second forenames.

The school's criteria

Getting in

20 of the 194 children who put it first were not offered a place in 2026/27.

Places depend mostly on the SEAG score, so how many apply says little on its own.

For September 2026 entry, 220 applications were considered for 186 places. Places ran out at criterion 1.1: SEAG assessment applicants; oversubscription at 1.1 led to score ranking under 1.2 and the final tied place was decided by sibling and age tie-breaks 1.4(i) and 1.4(iii). EA statement

Applications per place (all preferences): 1.2 in 2024/25, 1.1 in 2025/26, 1.2 in 2026/27.

Results for its intake

Expected about 98%, got 98.4% (5+ GCSEs A* to C with English and maths, 2024/25).

0%50%100%0%20%40%Pupils on free school meals
Each dot is a grammar school with 30 or more Year 12 pupils. The dashed line is what schools usually get at each free school meals level.

School life

  • Sport: Athletics, Badminton, Cricket, Equestrian, Football, Golf, Hockey, Netball, Rugby, Swimming, Tennis source
  • Asks for a voluntary contribution source

Who applied

Applications by the preference families gave the school, and children admitted
YearPlacesPut it 1st2nd3rd or laterAdmitted
2024/251861842411186
2025/26186183225186
2026/271861941412186

In 2026/27, 174 of the 194 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
6.3%
Special educational needs
34 pupils (18 with a statement)
Has Years 13 and 14
Yes
Area
Urban

Religious background of pupilsProtestant 64.6%, Catholic 3%, other or none 32.3%

Exam results (2024/25)

5+ GCSEs A* to C, with English and maths
98.4%
5+ GCSEs A* to C
98.4%
3+ A-levels A* to C
83%
2+ A-levels A* to E
99.3%
Year 12 pupils counted
188
A-level pupils counted
147

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

Admissions

From the school's admissions criteria for 2026.

Year 8 places: 186 (whole school: 1,210)

Applications and admissions in recent years
YearPlacesApplications (all preferences)Admitted
2023/24188222189
2024/25186219186
2025/26186210189

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

School's note: + includes those admitted through a temporary variation afforded by the Department of Education for Northern Ireland. * includes those admitted under appeal or at the direction of the 'Exceptional Circumstances Body'. **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)

Uses transfer test results in its admissions criteria. SEAG Total Standardised Age Score (TSAS) is the first ranking criterion for places.

Open event: Open Night, Thursday 8th January 2026 (Principal speaks 6.30pm and 8pm)

Sources

DENI reference 3410008

Schools near Ballyclare High School