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Dominican College, Fortwilliam

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38 Fortwilliam Park, Belfast, BT15 4AQ

Grammar · Girls · Voluntary · SEAG member

Pupils
1,060
Year 8
154
Council
Belfast

Your chances

against these criteria.

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

  1. Applicants resident in Northern Ireland are selected before any non-resident applicant.
  2. Band 1 applicants (SEAG, or awarded under Special Provisions or Special Circumstances) are admitted first.
  3. If places remain after Band 1, Band 2 applicants have priority.
  4. If places remain after Band 2, Band 3 applicants have priority.
  5. If places remain after Band 3, Band 4 applicants have priority.
  6. If places remain after Band 4, Band 5 applicants have priority.
  7. If places remain after Band 5, Band 6 applicants are admitted.
  8. Sub-criterion 1: a sibling currently enrolled, or already selected under the current transfer procedure.
  9. Sub-criterion 2: a sibling previously enrolled at Dominican College.
  10. Sub-criterion 3: eldest girl of the family eligible to apply; only children and joint-eldest twins included; verifying letter needed.
  11. Sub-criterion 4: entitled to Free School Meals on the Education Authority register by 24 February 2026.
  12. Sub-criterion 5: a Child Looked After.
  13. Sub-criterion 6: enrolled at one of 84 listed feeder primary schools; no priority between them.
  14. Sub-criterion 7 (tie-break): oldest applicant by date of birth.
  15. Sub-criterion 8 (final tie-break): surname then forename letters in a fixed random letter order.

The school's criteria

Getting in

52 of the 199 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): 1.5 in 2024/25, 1.1 in 2025/26, 1.5 in 2026/27.

Results for its intake

Expected about 89%, got 99.4% (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.

Who applied

Applications by the preference families gave the school, and children admitted
YearPlacesPut it 1st2nd3rd or laterAdmitted
2024/25150183278150
2025/26150151165150
2026/271501991310150

In 2026/27, 147 of the 199 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
16.1%
Special educational needs
95 pupils (21 with a statement)
Has Years 13 and 14
Yes
Area
Urban

Religious background of pupilsProtestant 0.6%, Catholic 90.9%, other or none 8.5%

Exam results (2024/25)

5+ GCSEs A* to C, with English and maths
99.4%
5+ GCSEs A* to C
99.4%
3+ A-levels A* to C
84.6%
2+ A-levels A* to E
100%
Year 12 pupils counted
165
A-level pupils counted
123

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

Admissions

From the school's admissions criteria for September 2026.

Year 8 places: 150 (whole school: 1,050)

Applications and admissions in recent years
YearPlacesApplications (all preferences)Admitted
2023/24160185162
2024/25150217156
2025/26150171154

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

School's note: * includes children who were admitted to the School with a statement of special educational needs and children admitted on appeal. ** temporary variation granted for admission of an additional 10 places.

Uses transfer test results in its admissions criteria. Uses the BAND awarded in the SEAG Entrance Assessment.

Open event: Open Day Saturday 17 January 2026, 9.30am to 1.00pm; Principal’s address at 9.30am and 11.00am.

Sources

DENI reference 1420082

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