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St Malachy's High School

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3 Dublin Road, Castlewellan, BT31 9AG

Non-selective · Mixed · Catholic maintained

Pupils
1,051
Year 8
189
Council
Newry, Mourne and Down

Your chances

against these criteria.

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

  1. Pupils attending a primary school within a listed contributory parish; sibling-enrolled children get priority within this criterion.
  2. Pupils living within a listed contributory parish; sibling-enrolled children get priority within this criterion.
  3. Pupils from other parishes attending a contributory primary school with a long-standing special relationship with the school.
  4. Pupils from other parishes where a child of the family is enrolled in the school.
  5. Pupils from other parishes.
  6. Tie-breaker: surname initial letter in a published order set on 10 November 2025, then random selection.

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 (132 children).

Applications per place (all preferences): 1.1 in 2024/25, 1 in 2025/26, 0.8 in 2026/27.

Results for its intake

Expected about 64%, got 59.2% (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

  • Sixth form with about 25 A-level subjects source
  • Has a learning support centre source

Who applied

Applications by the preference families gave the school, and children admitted
YearPlacesPut it 1st2nd3rd or laterAdmitted
2024/2516417950174
2025/2616415380161
2026/2716413211134

In 2026/27, 132 of the 132 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
25.1%
Special educational needs
147 pupils (124 with a statement)
Has Years 13 and 14
Yes
Area
Rural

Religious background of pupilsProtestant 1%, Catholic 96.4%, other or none 2.6%

Exam results (2024/25)

5+ GCSEs A* to C, with English and maths
59.2%
5+ GCSEs A* to C
91.8%
3+ A-levels A* to C
50%
2+ A-levels A* to E
100%
Year 12 pupils counted
147
A-level pupils counted
86

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

Admissions

From the school's admissions criteria for September 2026.

Year 8 places: 164 (whole school: 950)

Applications and admissions in recent years
YearPlacesApplications (all preferences)Admitted
2023/24164190179
2024/25164184197
2025/26164163189

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 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 4230211

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