18 Carolan Road, Belfast, BT7 3HE
Grammar · Mixed · Controlled · SEAG member
- Pupils
- 794
- Year 8
- 129
- Council
- Belfast
Your chances
against these criteria.
How it chooses when it has more applicants than places, in order:
- Children resident in Northern Ireland at the time of proposed admission are selected before any child not so resident.
- Places allocated in strict rank order of SEAG Total Standardised Age Score (TSAS), highest first, up to the admissions number (120).
- Child with a sibling (child of the family) currently enrolled at the College (sub-criterion 1.3).
- Eldest or only child of the family eligible to transfer to a mainstream post-primary school in Northern Ireland (sub-criterion 1.4).
- Child entitled to Free School Meals on the Education Authority register at the relevant date (sub-criterion 1.5).
- Child registered at a recognised feeder primary school (one that sent pupils in the last 3 years), ranked by numbers sent (sub-criterion 1.6).
- Tie-breaker: computer-generated random ranking number from Transfer Application data; lowest numbers admitted first.
Getting in
25 of the 118 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 SEAG score admitted was 188. source
For September 2026 entry, 173 applications were considered for 120 places. Places ran out at criterion 1.6: The final place among tied TSAS 188 applicants went to the pupil at the highest ranked feeder school. EA statement
Applications per place (all preferences): 1.5 in 2024/25, 1.7 in 2025/26, 1.4 in 2026/27.
Results for its intake
Expected about 90%, got 97.5% (5+ GCSEs A* to C with English and maths, 2024/25).
School life
Who applied
| Year | Places | Put it 1st | 2nd | 3rd or later | Admitted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024/25 | 120 | 94 | 59 | 32 | 120 |
| 2025/26 | 120 | 105 | 67 | 29 | 120 |
| 2026/27 | 120 | 118 | 37 | 15 | 120 |
In 2026/27, 93 of the 118 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
- 14.6%
- Special educational needs
- 86 pupils (38 with a statement)
- Has Years 13 and 14
- Yes
- Area
- Urban
Religious background of pupilsProtestant 32.6%, Catholic 26.1%, other or none 41.3%
Exam results (2024/25)
- 5+ GCSEs A* to C, with English and maths
- 97.5%
- 5+ GCSEs A* to C
- 97.5%
- 3+ A-levels A* to C
- 69.1%
- 2+ A-levels A* to E
- 100%
- Year 12 pupils counted
- 120
- A-level pupils counted
- 68
Source: Department of Education, SAER 2024/25, Open Government Licence.
Admissions
From the school's admissions criteria for September 2026.
Year 8 places: 120 (whole school: 770)
| Year | Places | Applications (all preferences) | Admitted |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023/24 | 120 | 199 | 120 |
| 2024/25 | 120 | 191 | 120 |
| 2025/26 | 120 | 201 | 129 |
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 College including those who have a statement of special educational needs, and those admitted through appeal.
Uses transfer test results in its admissions criteria. Uses SEAG Entrance Assessment Total Standardised Age Score (TSAS); places allocated in strict rank order of score up to the admissions number (120).
Open event: Open Day for P7 pupils and families on Saturday 17 January 2026.
Sources
- DE school census 2025/26
- Department of Education, SAER 2024/25
- EA analysis of preferences
- School admissions criteria, checked 16 October 2026
- SEAG member schools list, checked 15 October 2026
- School website, checked 16 October 2026
- OpenStreetMap (school address)
- ETI, checked 15 October 2026
DENI reference 1410270