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St Pius X College

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59 Moneymore Road, Magherafelt, BT45 6HQ

Non-selective · Mixed · Catholic maintained

Pupils
1,131
Year 8
181
Council
Mid Ulster

Open events

Your chances

against these criteria.

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

  1. Brothers, sisters or half-siblings currently enrolled at the College (excluding those who joined for sixth form), or children of a permanent staff member (60 points).
  2. Registered parishioners of Magherafelt & Castledawson Parish and/or attending one of twelve named primary schools (40 points).
  3. Attending one of seven further named primary schools (20 points).
  4. Tie-break: rank order by initial letter of surname (as on birth certificate) in a set order, then subsequent letters, then first forename.

Uses a parish list: check it in the criteria.

The school's criteria

Getting in

6 of the 159 children who put it first were not offered a place in 2026/27.

Applications per place (all preferences): 1.5 in 2024/25, 1.3 in 2025/26, 1.2 in 2026/27.

Results for its intake

Expected about 66%, got 65.9% (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 8.45am to 3.30pm source

Who applied

Applications by the preference families gave the school, and children admitted
YearPlacesPut it 1st2nd3rd or laterAdmitted
2024/25140181148190
2025/26140161252168
2026/27140159131164

In 2026/27, 153 of the 159 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
21.9%
Special educational needs
251 pupils (88 with a statement)
Has Years 13 and 14
Yes
Area
Urban

Religious background of pupilsProtestant 0%, Catholic 97.3%, other or none 2.7%

Exam results (2024/25)

5+ GCSEs A* to C, with English and maths
65.9%
5+ GCSEs A* to C
90.2%
3+ A-levels A* to C
55%
2+ A-levels A* to E
97.2%
Year 12 pupils counted
173
A-level pupils counted
109

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

Admissions

From the school's admissions criteria for September 2026.

Year 8 places: 140 (whole school: 850)

Applications and admissions in recent years
YearPlacesApplications (all preferences)Admitted
2023/24140177157
2024/25140207189
2025/26140190181

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. Where Total Admissions exceed the Admissions No, a Temporary Variation was granted by the Department of Education.

Does not use transfer test results in its admissions criteria.

Open event: College Open-Day for pupils & parents Saturday 10 January 2026 at 9.30 am; visits to the school can be arranged by appointment.

Sources

DENI reference 3230168

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