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St Cecilia's College, Derry

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6A Blighs Lane, Londonderry, BT48 9PN

Non-selective · Girls · Catholic maintained

Pupils
854
Year 8
137
Council
Derry City and Strabane

Open events

Your chances

against these criteria.

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

  1. Sisters (or equivalent) presently or formerly enrolled, where St Cecilia's is the first preference school
  2. Residents of the listed parishes who have St Cecilia's as first preference school
  3. Residents of the listed parishes whose first preference non-selective school is St Cecilia's, with a selective or grammar school ranked ahead
  4. Residents of the listed parishes who have placed at least one non-selective school ahead of St Cecilia's
  5. Applicants presently resident in other parishes in Northern Ireland
  6. Remaining places by randomised order of the initial letter of surname
  7. Final tie: random computerised selection if applicants still tie for a final place

Uses a parish list: check it in the criteria.

The school's criteria

Getting in

28 of the 161 children who put it first were not offered a place in 2026/27.

For September 2026 entry, 174 applications were considered for 134 places. Places ran out at criterion Surnames beginning with letters in the random order stated: Surname order selected applicants through Mc among those meeting Criterion 2. EA statement

Applications per place (all preferences): 1.3 in 2024/25, 1 in 2025/26, 1.3 in 2026/27.

Results for its intakePunches above its weight

Expected about 50%, got 67.7% (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.

Getting there

School bus from Steelstown, Shantallow, Carnhill, Culmore Point, Elmvale, Brookhill, Woodbrook, Ballymagroarty, Hazelbank, Strabane Old Road / Top of the Hill, Crescent Link, Abercorn Road. Routes

Who applied

Applications by the preference families gave the school, and children admitted
YearPlacesPut it 1st2nd3rd or laterAdmitted
2024/2512915591129
2025/2612912770129
2026/2712916174133

In 2026/27, 133 of the 161 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
50.8%
Special educational needs
165 pupils (52 with a statement)
Has Years 13 and 14
Yes
Area
Urban

Religious background of pupilsProtestant hidden (fewer than 5 pupils), Catholic 97.5%, other or none not published

Exam results (2024/25)

5+ GCSEs A* to C, with English and maths
67.7%
5+ GCSEs A* to C
99.2%
3+ A-levels A* to C
64.3%
2+ A-levels A* to E
98.6%
Year 12 pupils counted
124
A-level pupils counted
70

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

Admissions

From the school's admissions criteria for September 2026.

Year 8 places: 129 (whole school: 825)

Applications and admissions in recent years
YearPlacesApplications (all preferences)Admitted
2023/24129160137
2024/25129164135
2025/26129134136

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

School's note: *Total Admissions 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. (Specialist Provision in Mainstream School).

Does not use transfer test results in its admissions criteria.

Sources

DENI reference 2230188

Schools near St Cecilia's College, Derry