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St Mary's High School

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13-17 Chapel Street Upper, Newry, BT34 2DS

Non-selective · Girls · Catholic maintained

Pupils
578
Year 8
74
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. Children residing at application date in the named parishes (applied first to Northern Ireland residents).
  2. Children residing in other parishes but attending a primary school in the named parishes.
  3. Children from other parishes who currently have or had a child of the family enrolled in the school.
  4. Children whose Transfer Application expresses a first preference for the school.
  5. Children whose parent or carer is a permanent member of the school teaching, ancillary or auxiliary staff.
  6. Children from other parishes (residual group after criteria 1 to 5).
  7. Tie-break: random selection by initial letter of surname in a fixed order.
  8. Tie-break: computerised random selection where pupils have exactly the same full name.

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 (64 children).

Applications per place (all preferences): 0.9 in 2024/25, 0.6 in 2025/26, 0.7 in 2026/27.

Results for its intake

Expected about 56%, got 70.2% (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.

Who applied

Applications by the preference families gave the school, and children admitted
YearPlacesPut it 1st2nd3rd or laterAdmitted
2024/251008110091
2025/26100519464
2026/27100645069

In 2026/27, 64 of the 64 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
39.3%
Special educational needs
130 pupils (32 with a statement)
Has Years 13 and 14
Yes
Area
Urban

Religious background of pupilsProtestant 1%, Catholic 92.2%, other or none 6.7%

Exam results (2024/25)

5+ GCSEs A* to C, with English and maths
70.2%
5+ GCSEs A* to C
97.6%
3+ A-levels A* to C
80.6%
2+ A-levels A* to E
97.2%
Year 12 pupils counted
84
A-level pupils counted
36

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

Admissions

From the school's admissions criteria for 2026.

Year 8 places: 100 (whole school: 580)

Applications and admissions in recent years
YearPlacesApplications (all preferences)Admitted
2023/241009898
2024/25100100100
2025/261007474

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. Year 13 entry uses GCSE points score (A*=7 to E=1) for ranking; no entrance test for Year 8.

Open event: Open Night: Thursday 15th January 2026 at 7pm

Sources

DENI reference 5230108

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