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Mercy College

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Bilston Road, Belfast, BT14 7QR

Non-selective · Mixed · Catholic maintained

Pupils
833
Year 8
104
Council
Belfast

Open events

Your chances

against these criteria.

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

  1. Preference to pupils whose Transfer Application names Mercy as their 1st non-grammar preference.
  2. Preference to pupils with an older sister or brother presently enrolled at Mercy; name and class must be on the application.
  3. Preference to pupils enrolled in one of 14 named primary schools, each treated equally.
  4. Preference to pupils whose normal place of residence is within one of 12 named parishes.
  5. Preference to pupils who are the eldest child in their household.
  6. Preference to pupils with a parent/guardian on the permanent staff of Mercy College; name must be given.
  7. Preference to applicants who are a Child Looked After.
  8. Preference to pupils whose Transfer Application lists Mercy as 2nd, 3rd, 4th or 5th non-grammar preference, in that order.
  9. Tie-breaker: computer-based random ranking seeded by the child's name as entered on the online application.

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 (82 children).

Applications per place (all preferences): 1.1 in 2024/25, 0.6 in 2025/26, 0.9 in 2026/27.

Results for its intake

Expected about 40%, got 40% (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

  • School day 8.50am to 3.20pm source
  • Sport: Gaelic football, Football, Gymnastics, Cheerleading source

Who applied

Applications by the preference families gave the school, and children admitted
YearPlacesPut it 1st2nd3rd or laterAdmitted
2024/2511510399115
2025/26115673373
2026/2711582916107

In 2026/27, 82 of the 82 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
67.8%
Special educational needs
293 pupils (139 with a statement)
Has Years 13 and 14
Yes
Area
Urban

Religious background of pupilsProtestant 1.7%, Catholic 89.1%, other or none 9.2%

Exam results (2024/25)

5+ GCSEs A* to C, with English and maths
40%
5+ GCSEs A* to C
95%
3+ A-levels A* to C
79.6%
2+ A-levels A* to E
98.1%
Year 12 pupils counted
100
A-level pupils counted
54

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

Admissions

From the school's admissions criteria for 2026.

Year 8 places: 115 (whole school: 750)

Applications and admissions in recent years
YearPlacesApplications (all preferences)Admitted
2023/24115149157
2024/25115123138
2025/2611584104

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

School's note: *Total Admissions figure includes temporary variation for additional places granted/statemented pupils/pupils who had an admissions/ECB appeal upheld.

Does not use transfer test results in its admissions criteria. No SEAG or entrance test; the only tie-breaker is a computer-based random ranking using the applicant's name.

Open event: Thursday 15 January 2026 - 6.30pm - 9.00pm. Address by the Principal at 7.00pm in the Assembly Hall.

Sources

DENI reference 1230104

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