SEAGReady

Friends' School

Save or compare in the school finderFind schools near you

6 Magheralave Road, Lisburn, BT28 3BH

Grammar · Mixed · Voluntary · SEAG member

Pupils
1,093
Year 8
175
Council
Lisburn and Castlereagh

Open events

Your chances

against these criteria.

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

  1. Scores are grouped in ranges of 3 marks; applicants in Group 1 admitted before Group 2, Group 2 before Group 3, and so on.
  2. Within a group that is oversubscribed, sub-criterion a: children of Members or Attenders of the Religious Society of Friends (meeting details must be given).
  3. Sub-criterion b: applicants enrolled in the Preparatory Department of Friends' School Lisburn from 1 September 2025.
  4. Sub-criterion c: applicants with a brother or sister enrolled in Years 8-14 at Friends' School Lisburn at the date of transfer, including twins or triplets already admitted.
  5. Sub-criterion d: applicants transferring from a contributory primary school listed for the last five years (list below).
  6. Sub-criterion e: applicants to whom sub-criteria a to d do not apply.

The school's criteria

Getting in

90 of the 255 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, 324 applications were considered for 165 places. Places ran out at criterion 21E: Randomised computer selection allocated the last remaining place among Group 21 applicants to whom the preceding sub-criteria did not apply. EA statement

Applications per place (all preferences): 1.7 in 2024/25, 2 in 2025/26, 2.3 in 2026/27.

Results for its intake

Expected about 100%, got 99.3% (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
2024/25165233408166
2025/26165261576166
2026/27140255595165

In 2026/27, 165 of the 255 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
3.4%
Special educational needs
50 pupils (40 with a statement)
Has Years 13 and 14
Yes
Area
Urban

Religious background of pupilsProtestant 51.1%, Catholic 19.7%, other or none 29.3%

Exam results (2024/25)

5+ GCSEs A* to C, with English and maths
99.3%
5+ GCSEs A* to C
99.3%
3+ A-levels A* to C
88.5%
2+ A-levels A* to E
100%
Year 12 pupils counted
143
A-level pupils counted
122

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

Admissions

From the school's admissions criteria for 2026.

Year 8 places: 165 (whole school: 970)

Applications and admissions in recent years
YearPlacesApplications (all preferences)Admitted
2023/24165288169
2024/25165281168
2025/26165324175

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 includes all Year 8 children admitted to the school including those who have a statement of SEN

Uses transfer test results in its admissions criteria.

Open event: Saturday 10 January 2026 from 9.30 am - 12 noon

Sources

DENI reference 4420050

Schools near Friends' School