SEAGReady

St Mary's Christian Brothers Grammar School

Save or compare in the school finderFind schools near you

147A Glen Road, Belfast, BT11 8NR

Grammar · Boys · Voluntary · SEAG member

Pupils
1,145
Year 8
182
Council
Belfast

Open events

Your chances

against these criteria.

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

  1. Applicants with a SEAG TSAS in Band 1, including Special Circumstances or Special Provisions cases judged comparable.
  2. Applicants with a SEAG TSAS in Band 2, including Special Circumstances or Special Provisions cases judged comparable.
  3. Applicants with a SEAG TSAS in Band 3, including Special Circumstances or Special Provisions cases judged comparable.
  4. Applicants with a SEAG TSAS in Band 4, including Special Circumstances or Special Provisions cases judged comparable.
  5. Applicants with a SEAG TSAS in Band 5, including Special Circumstances or Special Provisions cases judged comparable.
  6. Applicants with a SEAG TSAS in Band 6, including Special Circumstances or Special Provisions cases judged comparable.
  7. All other applicants, not in Bands 1 to 6.
  8. Tie-break H1: applicant has a brother currently enrolled at the school (child's name and year group required on application).
  9. Tie-break H2: applicant is the eldest son of the family (or eldest or only child), with evidence required.
  10. Tie-break H3: boys from John Paul II Primary School or St Patrick's Primary School (Christian Brothers' ERST trusteeship).
  11. Tie-break H4: boys from the listed feeder primary schools (not in preference order).
  12. Tie-break H5: final place decided by initial letter of surname (order set by random selection, then forenames/date of birth).

The school's criteria

Getting in

37 of the 179 children who put it first were not offered a place in 2026/27.

Places depend mostly on the SEAG score, so how many apply says little on its own.

For September 2026 entry: the lowest band admitted was Band 6. source

For September 2026 entry, 223 applications were considered for 175 places. Places ran out at criterion F: Applicants in Band 6 were separated by TSAS rank order. EA statement

Applications per place (all preferences): 1.1 in 2024/25, 1.1 in 2025/26, 1.3 in 2026/27.

Results for its intake

Expected about 75%, got 84.5% (5+ GCSEs A* to C with English and maths, 2024/25).

0%50%100%0%20%40%Pupils on free school meals
Each dot is a grammar school with 30 or more Year 12 pupils. The dashed line is what schools usually get at each free school meals level.

Who applied

Applications by the preference families gave the school, and children admitted
YearPlacesPut it 1st2nd3rd or laterAdmitted
2024/25175165178175
2025/26175180134175
2026/271751793015175

In 2026/27, 142 of the 179 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
31%
Special educational needs
112 pupils (34 with a statement)
Has Years 13 and 14
Yes
Area
Urban

Religious background of pupilsProtestant hidden (fewer than 5 pupils), Catholic 94.2%, other or none not published

Exam results (2024/25)

5+ GCSEs A* to C, with English and maths
84.5%
5+ GCSEs A* to C
91.7%
3+ A-levels A* to C
81.4%
2+ A-levels A* to E
99.2%
Year 12 pupils counted
181
A-level pupils counted
118

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

Admissions

From the school's admissions criteria for September 2026.

Year 8 places: 175 (whole school: 1,180)

Applications and admissions in recent years
YearPlacesApplications (all preferences)Admitted
2023/24175197177
2024/25175190177
2025/26175204182

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

School's note: * Includes Special Educational Needs students

Uses transfer test results in its admissions criteria. Uses SEAG Entrance Assessment Total Standardised Age Score (TSAS) bands.

Open event: Wednesday 14 January 2026 and Thursday 15 January 2026, 7.00 pm

Sources

DENI reference 1420021

Schools near St Mary's Christian Brothers Grammar School