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The High School Ballynahinch

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103 Belfast Road, Ballynahinch, BT24 8EH

Non-selective · Mixed · Controlled

Pupils
379
Year 8
52
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. Pupils resident in Northern Ireland at the time of application, applied first.
  2. Pupils with a sibling currently enrolled in the school.
  3. Applicants who are the eldest or only child in a family to transfer.
  4. Applicants who have had a sibling previously enrolled in the school.
  5. Pupils transferring from the listed primary schools.
  6. Other pupils.
  7. Surname-initial tie-breaker using a fixed random letter order.

The school's criteria

Getting in

Usually has spare places

Everyone who put it first was offered a place in 2026/27 (32 children).

Applications per place (all preferences): 0.6 in 2024/25, 0.5 in 2025/26, 0.5 in 2026/27.

Results for its intake

Expected about 60%, got 49.5% (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 8.50am to 3.05pm source

Who applied

Applications by the preference families gave the school, and children admitted
YearPlacesPut it 1st2nd3rd or laterAdmitted
2024/2576385447
2025/2676302436
2026/2776324238

In 2026/27, 32 of the 32 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
33%
Special educational needs
189 pupils (103 with a statement)
Has Years 13 and 14
No
Area
Urban

Religious background of pupilsProtestant 64.6%, Catholic 6.6%, other or none 28.8%

Exam results (2024/25)

5+ GCSEs A* to C, with English and maths
49.5%
5+ GCSEs A* to C
90.5%
3+ A-levels A* to C
none
2+ A-levels A* to E
none
Year 12 pupils counted
95
A-level pupils counted
0

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

Admissions

From the school's admissions criteria for September 2026.

Year 8 places: 76 (whole school: 380)

Applications and admissions in recent years
YearPlacesApplications (all preferences)Admitted
2023/24766565
2024/25766565
2025/26765855

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 4210029

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