To ask about NI grammar schools

[PrettyTricky]

There's a strong possibility we will be moving from Scotland to Belfast in the summer due to DP's work.
I have a dc aged 13 who is about to go into S3 in Scotland. I think this would be Year 10 in the English and NI systems.
I know it's not a case of geographically zoned schools in NI and rather a case of grammar school placement being awarded depending on attainment in the transfer tests.
I'm wondering if anyone on mumsnet has any idea how easy or difficult it would be to find a place in a grammar school - there would be 3 reasonably close in the area we are looking, and a couple of non grammar schools.
This problem is adding so many worries to an already fraught time - I'm having to leave
my work and elderly parents, and dc doesn't want to go. I could seriously be doing without problems getting into a decent school. Stressed to the max.

The other option is an Integrated school which tend to be more progressive and open minded. Most also have a grammar stream. I have one at a high flying grammar and one at an integrated college. Both great schools.

OP,I am I. The north of Belfast (Newtownabbey to be exact).Mg 13yo DS goes to St Malachys Grammar which is an outstanding school that takes him about 20minutes to get to on one straight bus.If he hadn’t passed his transfer he would have gone to Edmund Rice Secondary,which is an absolutely fantastic school he could’ve walked to from here.Also BRA is on the same bus route.You have lots of options and him having an accent Wont matter one bit, especially if he likes football.People here are genuinely really friendly, you will all be grand.Feel free to PM if you need anything.

Be aware of the religious divide.

In my experience - all the males in my family went to Inst - it turns out emotionally stunted males stuck in the 1950s who treat women like shite. A lot of the Belfast grammars will be academically pushy and quite hardcore - Methody, Inst, Victoria College.

Tutoring is rife from a very early age for the 11+ - think starting from p3 or p4 at Inchmarlo and the other preps.

Slightly off topic, but I have a child who is just finishing the end of her first year in an NI grammar. I don't know anyone who had their child tutored for the transfer test. No one she went to primary with had a tutor and none of my colleagues with children of a similar age have had tutors for their children.

With regards to the schools themselves, the standards here are generally very high. There isn't a school within 30 miles of where I live that I would have been upset about sending my children to. And the two schools in my area that are hardest to get a place in are actually both non grammars, just in terms of numbers of applications versus places available.

Even within the grammar school system there is a lot of variation. The one my daughter goes to is very much sink or swim, and I believe Ballyclare High would be similar. Whereas the likes of Antrim Grammar, which has some of the best results in NI, has a great reputation for being a more supportive environment.

What about St Malachy's Grammar, it's on the Antrim Road in North Belfast. Further up there's a newly (2 years or so) amalgamated school (boys and girls) Blessed Trinity College which has very good reports, though non grammar.

I think the thing is @NotAnotherJaffaCake a lot of schools do that!! DH went to Methody and is exactly how you describe 😂😂.

The new woman head may change things in Inst 🤷🏻‍♀️.

Generally the results from Inch are shite so not sure the tutoring helps much...

OP my dsis is in NI and I really wanted to move but didn't because of the schools. The grammar schools have strict admissions tests, RBAI and Methodist College do theirs in Feb and you don't find out whether you have a place until the April. I even tried high schools (Ashfield, Malone College) and they had no places either! I actually got a call from Ashfield 2 years after I applied to say he was nearly at the top of the list and was I still interested? I had one dc in primary school and surprise, surprise....There were no places either. The good primary schools are very oversubscribed too.

Something else to hear in line-up grammar schools are fee paying. RBAI is £1k per year, I think Methody was aboutv£600 and Campbell £3k.

Freudianslip1 The AQE and GL tests take place in Nov on 4 Saturdays depending on what papers you do. The results of both come out at the end of Jan - usually the last Saturday and letters confirming places are sent out at the end of May - this was actually last Sat (1 June).

freudian may be taking about transfers not at P7 ie in a later school year.

Oh I see now - either too much coffee or not enough!- apologies freudianslip1, thanks hopeishere

@BigBairyHollocks thanks so much, I may PM you, I'm going to be pretty lost myself when I get there, so would be good to be able to message you.

Will join the Facebook groups mentioned, thanks.

This info has been really helpful, I was in tears over the stress of this yesterday and am so worried about making the wrong decision for my dc, I would love to be able to keep him in his current school where he is very happy, but I just can't see that it will be practically possible.
Have been told that there may be a place available at Belfast High in Jordanstown, also Larne and Carrickfergus.

Have ruled out Methody and be Inst as I think he may be eaten alive there and he's really not into rugby.

As for St Malachy's Grammar, I'm not sure if that's a catholic only school (I don't mean to offend, I just don't know how it works). We're not catholic. Will also look at Edmund Rice Secondary.

I honestly think I'd consider not moving - at least until sixth form. Not because there's anything wrong with NI or necessarily with any of the schools you mention, but he's settled and happy and it's a tremendously hard age to move a child to what sounds like a very different system and ethos.

Also you would have to give up your work too, you say. What happens if this job goes wrong?

freudian may be taking about transfers not at P7 ie in a later school year

Yes that is what it meant. For many grammar schools (in Belfast anyway) it isn't a case of phoning to see if they have space and then doing a test, there are set procedures to ensure fair admission.

Its worth looking at school uniform too, it can be quite expensive and only available from one or two shops, and PE kit etc.