About Northern Ireland Grammar Schools
Northern Ireland operates the UK's largest universally available grammar school system — every child in P7 can sit the SEAG Transfer Test if they wish, and 63 grammar schools admit selectively. Unlike England's fully-selective LA areas, Northern Ireland combines universal access with regional school spread, meaning families across all 11 districts can access grammar education locally. Top NI grammars consistently rank among the UK's best for GCSE attainment, with Strathearn School Belfast (#31), Rathmore Grammar (#35), and St Dominic's Grammar (#36) leading the NI rankings in the Sunday Times Parent Power 2026.
History & Tradition
Grammar education in Northern Ireland predates partition. Belfast Royal Academy was founded in 1785, Methodist College Belfast in 1868, and Friends' School Lisburn in 1774. The 1947 Education Act (NI) established the modern grammar/secondary system. When England abolished most grammars in the 1960s-70s, Northern Ireland retained academic selection. The Catholic and state grammar sectors developed in parallel — each running large, prestigious schools across the region. The selective transfer system was reformed in 2008-2023, with AQE and PPTC tests replaced by a single shared SEAG test from 2023.
The Entry Test
All 63 NI grammar schools now use the SEAG Transfer Test — produced by GL Assessment but managed by the Schools' Entrance Assessment Group. Two papers, each 60 minutes, sat about one week apart in November of P7. Subjects: English (comprehension, grammar, spelling, punctuation) and Mathematics. Format: mix of multiple-choice (44 questions) and free-form short answers (12 questions) per paper.
Northern Ireland 11+ at a Glance
8 Things You Should Know About Northern Ireland Grammar Schools
Researched facts about the region's selective schools — drawn from official sources, school websites and education research.
- 1Northern Ireland is the only UK region where the grammar school sector serves over 40% of post-primary pupils — far higher than any English LA. About one-third of P7 pupils sit the SEAG each year.
- 2The SEAG Transfer Test costs £20 to register — pupils eligible for Free School Meals (FSME) are exempt with documented Education Authority evidence.
- 3Strathearn School Belfast is Northern Ireland's top-ranked grammar school in the Sunday Times Parent Power 2026 (#31 in the UK), with 78.4% of GCSE entries at grades 9-7 and 85.8% of A-Level entries at A*-B grades. The next NI grammars are Rathmore (#35), St Dominic's (#36) and Friends' School Lisburn (#46).
- 4SEAG uses 'age-standardised' scoring — younger children in the cohort receive an upward adjustment so they're not penalised for being younger. Maximum standardised score is approximately 130.
- 5The two SEAG papers are typically sat exactly one week apart on consecutive Saturdays — usually mid-November. Both papers count equally toward the final score.
- 6Northern Ireland operates a separate admissions portal from England — applications go through the Education Authority's EA NI Transfer Portal (eani.org.uk), NOT a CAF as in England.
- 7Catholic-maintained grammar schools (e.g. St Dominic's, Lumen Christi) typically give priority to baptised Catholic children but accept others if oversubscribed. Some non-denominational grammars apply purely on SEAG score.
- 8NI Offers Day is in late April — a full month before England's National Offers Day on 1 March, due to the different application calendar.
| Rank | School Name | Gender | PAN | 11+ Exam | GCSE 9-7 | A-Level A*-B |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #31 | Strathearn School Belfast#31 | Girls | 100 | SEAG | 73% | 85.8% |
| #35 | Rathmore Grammar School#35 | Mixed | 180 | SEAG | 69.3% | 86.3% |
| #36 | St Dominic's Grammar School#36 | Girls | 140 | SEAG | 71.3% | 85.3% |
| #46 | Friends School Lisburn#46 | Mixed | 120 | SEAG | 78.2% | 79.1% |
| #48 | Our Lady and St Patrick's College, Knock#48 | Mixed | 170 | SEAG | 61.6% | 87.2% |
| #53 | Lumen Christi College#53 | Mixed | — | SEAG | 74.4% | 79.9% |
| #62 | Sullivan Upper School#62 | Mixed | — | SEAG | 66.7% | 80.9% |
| #64 | Banbridge Academy#64 | Mixed | 180 | SEAG | 72.2% | 78% |
| #65 | St Louis Grammar School Ballymena#65 | Mixed | 150 | SEAG | 55.8% | 85.9% |
| #69 | Aquinas Diocesan Grammar School#69 | Mixed | 130 | SEAG | 66.3% | 79.4% |
| #75 | Ballymena Academy#75 | Mixed | 180 | SEAG | 58.2% | 81.8% |
| #78 | Rainey Endowed School Magherafelt#78 | Mixed | 93 | SEAG | 61.1% | 79% |
| #80 | Carrickfergus Grammar School#80 | Mixed | 110 | SEAG | 56.4% | 80.9% |
| #95 | Down High School#95 | Mixed | — | SEAG | 50.7% | 80.2% |
| Abbey Christian Brothers Grammar School | Boys | 140 | SEAG | 80% | 70% | |
| Antrim Grammar School | Mixed | 130 | SEAG | 80% | 70% | |
| Assumption Grammar School | Girls | 130 | SEAG | 80% | 70% | |
| Ballyclare High School | Mixed | 180 | SEAG | 55.4% | 73.1% | |
| Bangor Grammar School | Boys | 120 | SEAG | 70% | 70% | |
| Belfast High School | Mixed | 140 | SEAG | 65% | 70% | |
| Belfast Royal Academy | Mixed | 200 | SEAG | 58.7% | 72.2% | |
| Bloomfield Collegiate Belfast | Girls | 100 | SEAG | 70% | 70% | |
| Cambridge House Grammar School Ballymena | Mixed | 120 | SEAG | 70% | 70% | |
| Campbell College | Boys | 100 | SEAG | 39% | 85.0% | |
| Christian Brothers Grammar School Omagh | Boys | 130 | SEAG | 70% | 70% | |
| Coleraine Grammar School | Mixed | 140 | SEAG | 75% | 70% | |
| Dalriada School Ballymoney | Mixed | 128 | SEAG | 52.9% | 73.6% | |
| Dominican College Belfast | Girls | 130 | SEAG | 80% | 70% | |
| Dominican College, Portstewart | Girls | 90 | SEAG | 80% | 70% | |
| Enniskillen Royal Grammar School | Mixed | 140 | SEAG | 39.9% | 70.1% | |
| Foyle College (Londonderry/Derry) | Mixed | 130 | SEAG | 75% | 65% | |
| Glenlola Collegiate Bangor | Girls | 170 | SEAG | 39.2% | 66.3% | |
| Grosvenor Grammar School Belfast | Mixed | 145 | SEAG | 75% | 65% | |
| Hunterhouse College | Girls | 100 | SEAG | 70% | 70% | |
| Lagan College | Mixed | 200 | SEAG | 70% | 70% | |
| Larne Grammar School | Mixed | 100 | SEAG | 70% | 70% | |
| Lecale Trinity Grammar School Downpatrick | Mixed | 180 | SEAG | — | — | |
| Limavady Grammar School | Mixed | 120 | SEAG | 46.7% | 60.2% | |
| Loreto Grammar School Omagh | Girls | 120 | SEAG | 80% | 70% | |
| Methodist College Belfast | Mixed | 240 | SEAG | 61.8% | 71.6% | |
| Mount Lourdes Grammar School Enniskillen | Girls | 120 | SEAG | 70% | 70% | |
| Omagh Academy Grammar School | Mixed | 95 | SEAG | 57.3% | 67.5% | |
| Our Lady's Grammar School Newry | Girls | 120 | SEAG | 80% | 70% | |
| Regent House School Newtownards | Mixed | 200 | SEAG | 70% | 70% | |
| Royal Belfast Academical Institution | Boys | 140 | SEAG | 70% | 70% | |
| Royal School Armagh | Mixed | 90 | SEAG | 48.2% | 64.5% | |
| Royal School Dungannon | Mixed | 90 | SEAG | 77% | 70% | |
| Sacred Heart Grammar School | Girls | 140 | SEAG | 80% | 70% | |
| Slemish College | Mixed | 120 | SEAG | 70% | — | |
| St Colman's College Newry | Boys | 125 | SEAG | 80% | 70% | |
| St Columb's College Derry | Boys | 170 | SEAG | 75% | 70% | |
| St Joseph's Grammar School Donaghmore | Mixed | 110 | SEAG | 70% | 70% | |
| St Louis Grammar School Kilkeel | Mixed | 120 | SEAG | 75% | 70% | |
| St Malachy's College Belfast | Mixed | 140 | SEAG | 75% | 65% | |
| St Mary's Christian Brothers' Grammar School Belfast | Boys | 140 | SEAG | 75% | 65% | |
| St Mary's Grammar School Magherafelt | Mixed | 170 | SEAG | 73.3% | 88.5% | |
| St Michael's College Enniskillen | Boys | 100 | SEAG | 65% | 62% | |
| St Patrick's Academy, Dungannon | Mixed | 180 | SEAG | 75% | 70% | |
| Strabane Academy | Mixed | 100 | SEAG | 50% | 40% | |
| Thornhill College | Girls | 180 | SEAG | 70% | 70% | |
| Victoria College, Belfast | Girls | 120 | SEAG | 48.6% | 73% | |
| Wallace High School Lisburn | Mixed | 170 | SEAG | 53.5% | 71% | |
| Wellington College Belfast | Mixed | 100 | SEAG | 77% | 70% |