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Holy Cross College

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35 Melmount Road, Strabane, BT82 9EF

Non-selective · Mixed · Catholic maintained

Pupils
1,517
Year 8
227
Council
Derry City and Strabane

Your chances

against these criteria.

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

  1. Free school meals applicants, with priority so their admitted share is not less than their share of first-preference applications.
  2. Applicants who normally reside in the listed parishes: Camus, Mourne, Leckpatrick, Sion Mills, Urney, Donemana, Newtownstewart, Castlederg.
  3. Applicants with a sibling or legally adopted sibling presently enrolled, or who will be enrolled in the coming year.
  4. Applicants from other parishes who are presently resident in Northern Ireland.
  5. Applicants from other parishes (residual category).
  6. Within the final category, places allocated by initial letter of surname in the order set out in the document.
  7. If still oversubscribed, places go to those living closest to the school, measured as the crow flies.

Uses a parish list: check it in the criteria.

The school's criteria

Getting in

Usually has spare places

Everyone who put it first was offered a place in 2026/27 (177 children).

Applications per place (all preferences): 0.6 in 2024/25, 0.7 in 2025/26, 0.6 in 2026/27.

Results for its intake

Expected about 60%, got 59.8% (5+ GCSEs A* to C with English and maths, 2024/25).

0%50%100%0%40%80%Pupils on free school meals
Each dot is a non-selective 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: Football, Gaelic football, Rugby, Athletics, Golf, Cricket, Equestrian source

Who applied

Applications by the preference families gave the school, and children admitted
YearPlacesPut it 1st2nd3rd or laterAdmitted
2024/2530018770194
2025/2630020300203
2026/27300177100187

In 2026/27, 177 of the 177 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
32.6%
Special educational needs
307 pupils (111 with a statement)
Has Years 13 and 14
Yes
Area
Urban

Religious background of pupilsProtestant 0.3%, Catholic 98.7%, other or none 0.9%

Exam results (2024/25)

5+ GCSEs A* to C, with English and maths
59.8%
5+ GCSEs A* to C
82.1%
3+ A-levels A* to C
50.8%
2+ A-levels A* to E
96.8%
Year 12 pupils counted
246
A-level pupils counted
126

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

Admissions

From the school's admissions criteria for 2026.

Year 8 places: 300 (whole school: 1,830)

Applications and admissions in recent years
YearPlacesApplications (all preferences)Admitted
2023/24300261261
2024/25300213213
2025/26300210225

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

School's note: The Total Admissions for year 2026 2027 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

Does not use transfer test results in its admissions criteria.

Open event: Open Day Saturday 17th January 2026, 10.00 am to 12 noon and 1.00 pm to 3.00 pm; Principal's Address 10.00 am and 1.00 pm

Sources

DENI reference 2230301

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