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Ballymena Academy

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89 Galgorm Road, Ballymena, BT42 1AJ

Grammar · Mixed · Voluntary · SEAG member

Pupils
1,228
Year 8
176
Council
Mid and East Antrim

Open events

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 time of proposed admission are considered before non-resident children (section 1.2 priority).
  2. Applications ranked by SEAG Total Standardised Age Score (TSAS); higher scores accepted first.
  3. Tie-breaker 2.3.1: where TSAS is identical, first preference applications are selected before second, and so on.
  4. Tie-breaker 2.3.2: sibling(s) currently enrolled at the school, or already approved for acceptance in the current process; greater number of siblings preferred.
  5. Tie-breaker 2.3.3: eldest or only child of the family eligible to apply for admission.
  6. Tie-breaker 2.3.4: attends a primary school within the former Ballymena Borough Council area at time of application.
  7. Tie-breaker 2.4: remaining tied applications selected by a random number process overseen by the Admissions Panel.

The school's criteria

Getting in

13 of the 182 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.

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 100%, got 94.7% (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: Rugby, Hockey, Football source

Who applied

Applications by the preference families gave the school, and children admitted
YearPlacesPut it 1st2nd3rd or laterAdmitted
2024/25176189813176
2025/26176162206176
2026/271761821812176

In 2026/27, 169 of the 182 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
4.8%
Special educational needs
68 pupils (15 with a statement)
Has Years 13 and 14
Yes
Area
Urban

Religious background of pupilsProtestant 74.3%, Catholic 5.1%, other or none 20.5%

Exam results (2024/25)

5+ GCSEs A* to C, with English and maths
94.7%
5+ GCSEs A* to C
96.5%
3+ A-levels A* to C
86.6%
2+ A-levels A* to E
100%
Year 12 pupils counted
170
A-level pupils counted
149

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

Admissions

From the school's admissions criteria for September 2026.

Year 8 places: 176 (whole school: 1,200)

Applications and admissions in recent years
YearPlacesApplications (all preferences)Admitted
2023/24176204176
2024/25176206176
2025/26176190176

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 include 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) The data for 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 does not include children who were admitted to the school with a statement of special educational needs.

Uses transfer test results in its admissions criteria. Ranks by SEAG Total Standardised Age Score (TSAS) from the Entrance Assessment; Special Circumstances and Special Provisions can also set a score.

Open event: Visits Wednesday 7 January 2026 and Thursday 8 January 2026, 7.00pm to 9.30pm.

Sources

DENI reference 3420011

Schools near Ballymena Academy