SEAGReady

Dominican College

Save or compare in the school finderFind schools near you

2 Strand Road, Portstewart, BT55 7PF

Grammar · Mixed · Voluntary · Not a SEAG member

Pupils
676
Year 8
106
Council
Causeway Coast and Glens

Your chances

against these criteria.

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

  1. Pupils resident in Northern Ireland are considered before non-resident pupils.
  2. Pupils naming the college as their 1st preference school.
  3. Pupils with a child of the family currently enrolled at the college.
  4. Pupils who are the eligible first or only child in the family (footnote definition applies).
  5. Pupils with a parent who is a permanent member of staff at Dominican College Portstewart.
  6. Pupils attending a primary school in Portstewart or Portrush, from the named list.
  7. Pupils permanently living in the defined Portstewart, Portrush and Coleraine area (map at school office).
  8. Pupils from other traditional feeder primaries (transfers within the last 7 school years).
  9. Tie-breaker: computerised random selector.

The school's criteria

Getting in

32 of the 132 children who put it first were not offered a place in 2026/27.

For September 2026 entry, 154 applications were considered for 100 places. Places ran out at criterion 2f: After feeder-school sub-criterion 2f, a random generator selected five of eight applicants for the final places. EA statement

Applications per place (all preferences): 0.9 in 2024/25, 1.3 in 2025/26, 1.5 in 2026/27.

Results for its intake

Expected about 84%, got 83.2% (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.

Getting there

School bus from Coleraine, Portrush, Ballymoney, Magherafelt, Dunluce (Coleraine Road stops), Coleraine Heights. Routes

School life

  • School day 9am to 3.15pm source
  • Sport: Athletics, Badminton, Camogie, Football, Gaelic football, Golf, Hockey, Hurling, Netball, Rugby source
  • Voluntary contribution £100 source

Who applied

Applications by the preference families gave the school, and children admitted
YearPlacesPut it 1st2nd3rd or laterAdmitted
2024/25100880189
2025/2610012562100
2026/27100132156100

In 2026/27, 100 of the 132 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
20.6%
Special educational needs
112 pupils (22 with a statement)
Has Years 13 and 14
Yes
Area
Urban

Religious background of pupilsProtestant 26.5%, Catholic 40.7%, other or none 32.8%

Exam results (2024/25)

5+ GCSEs A* to C, with English and maths
83.2%
5+ GCSEs A* to C
99%
3+ A-levels A* to C
64.9%
2+ A-levels A* to E
98.6%
Year 12 pupils counted
101
A-level pupils counted
74

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

Admissions

From the school's admissions criteria for September 2026.

Year 8 places: 100 (whole school: 675)

Applications and admissions in recent years
YearPlacesApplications (all preferences)Admitted
2023/24100124100
2024/251009998
2025/26101138105

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

School's note: This table does not include children who were admitted to the school with a statement of special educational needs.

Does not use transfer test results in its admissions criteria.

Sources

DENI reference 3420068

Schools near Dominican College