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Newtownhamilton High School

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9 Armagh Road, Newtownhamilton, BT35 0DG

Non-selective · Mixed · Controlled

Pupils
217
Year 8
41
Council
Newry, Mourne and Down

Open events

Your chances

against these criteria.

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

  1. Applicants for whom Newtownhamilton High School is first preference.
  2. Applicants from listed contributory primary schools, all treated equally (including Kingsmills pupils in 2022/23).
  3. Child of the family currently enrolled, or applicant more than 5 years younger than an earlier-attending sibling.
  4. Eldest child of the family eligible to apply, or whose older siblings were refused admission due to oversubscription.
  5. Parent is a current permanent employee of the school.
  6. Living closest to the school by straight-line distance, measured on the Measure Distances website (equal distance goes to the eldest child).

The school's criteria

Getting in

7 of the 42 children who put it first were not offered a place in 2026/27.

For September 2026 entry, 42 applications were considered for 35 places. Places ran out at criterion 6: Distance from the school decided the final places among applicants meeting criteria 1, 2 and 4. EA statement

Applications per place (all preferences): 1.3 in 2024/25, 1.2 in 2025/26, 1.2 in 2026/27.

Results for its intake

Expected about 71%, got 85.3% (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: Athletics, Badminton, Basketball, Football, Hockey, Netball, Rugby, Tennis source

Who applied

Applications by the preference families gave the school, and children admitted
YearPlacesPut it 1st2nd3rd or laterAdmitted
2024/2535431138
2025/2635393039
2026/2735420035

In 2026/27, 35 of the 42 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
12.9%
Special educational needs
30 pupils (20 with a statement)
Has Years 13 and 14
No
Area
Rural

Religious background of pupilsProtestant 88%, Catholic 2.3%, other or none 9.7%

Exam results (2024/25)

5+ GCSEs A* to C, with English and maths
85.3%
5+ GCSEs A* to C
91.2%
3+ A-levels A* to C
none
2+ A-levels A* to E
none
Year 12 pupils counted
34
A-level pupils counted
0

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

Admissions

From the school's admissions criteria for September 2026.

Year 8 places: 35 (whole school: 175)

Applications and admissions in recent years
YearPlacesApplications (all preferences)Admitted
2023/24353637
2024/25355144
2025/26354341

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

School's note: *Includes pupils with SEN statements and also those who were admitted following a temporary variation and/or appeal. **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)

Does not use transfer test results in its admissions criteria.

Sources

DENI reference 5210025

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