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St Patrick's College

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Broughshane Road, Ballymena, BT43 7DZ

Non-selective · Mixed · Catholic maintained

Pupils
402
Year 8
46
Council
Mid and East Antrim

Your chances

against these criteria.

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

  1. Children residing in named parishes (Ballymena, Glenravel, Cloughmills, Ahoghill, Antrim), not in order of preference.
  2. Eldest child of the family, or child with a brother or sister presently enrolled in the school.
  3. Places left after criteria: final selection by surname initial in a randomised letter order, then later letters of surname.
  4. Identical surnames and forenames: tie-break by date of birth, eldest child first.

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 (27 children).

Applications per place (all preferences): 0.3 in 2024/25, 0.2 in 2025/26, 0.3 in 2026/27.

Results for its intake

Expected about 62%, got 31.6% (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

  • School day 9am to 3.15pm 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
2024/25150369550
2025/26150246131
2026/271502771145

In 2026/27, 27 of the 27 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
29.1%
Special educational needs
81 pupils (41 with a statement)
Has Years 13 and 14
Yes
Area
Urban

Religious background of pupilsProtestant 7.2%, Catholic 63.4%, other or none 29.4%

Exam results (2024/25)

5+ GCSEs A* to C, with English and maths
31.6%
5+ GCSEs A* to C
43.9%
3+ A-levels A* to C
52.4%
2+ A-levels A* to E
100%
Year 12 pupils counted
57
A-level pupils counted
21

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

Admissions

From the school's admissions criteria for September 2026.

Year 8 places: 150 (whole school: 760)

Applications and admissions in recent years
YearPlacesApplications (all preferences)Admitted
2023/24585858
2024/25606060
2025/26464646

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.

Does not use transfer test results in its admissions criteria.

Sources

DENI reference 3230084

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