SEAGReady

Down High School

Save or compare in the school finderFind schools near you

28 Strangford Road, Downpatrick, BT30 6SL

Grammar · Mixed · Controlled · SEAG member

Pupils
961
Year 8
133
Council
Newry, Mourne and Down

Your chances

against these criteria.

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

  1. Preference to pupils with a SEAG TSAS (or Board-assigned score under Special Circumstances/Provision), ranked by score.
  2. Tie-break within criterion 1: sibling enrolled in the school for 2025-2026.
  3. Tie-break within criterion 1: eldest child of the family eligible to transfer.
  4. Pupils with no SEAG TSAS or assigned score, when fewer pupils have a TSAS than the admissions number.
  5. Within criterion 2: sibling enrolled in the school for 2025/2026.
  6. Within criterion 2: eldest child of the family (including only child).
  7. Tie-break by the initial letter of the surname in a fixed randomised order.
  8. Further tie-break by date of birth, older child preferred.
  9. Final tie-break by lot.

The school's criteria

Getting in

31 of the 165 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: the lowest SEAG score admitted was 197. source

For September 2026 entry, 171 applications were considered for 135 places. EA statement

Applications per place (all preferences): 1.4 in 2024/25, 1.1 in 2025/26, 1.2 in 2026/27.

Results for its intake

Expected about 100%, got 100% (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
2024/2512817041137
2025/2612813283128
2026/2713516520135

In 2026/27, 134 of the 165 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
72 pupils (21 with a statement)
Has Years 13 and 14
Yes
Area
Rural

Religious background of pupilsProtestant 48.7%, Catholic 26.3%, other or none 25%

Exam results (2024/25)

5+ GCSEs A* to C, with English and maths
100%
5+ GCSEs A* to C
100%
3+ A-levels A* to C
89.8%
2+ A-levels A* to E
100%
Year 12 pupils counted
127
A-level pupils counted
128

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

Admissions

From the school's admissions criteria for September 2026.

Year 8 places: 135 (whole school: 934)

Applications and admissions in recent years
YearPlacesApplications (all preferences)Admitted
2023/24128187138
2024/25128176136
2025/26**128143133

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

School's note: *Figure includes temporary variation to admissions number. **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.

Sources

DENI reference 4410085

Schools near Down High School