Secondary school Belfast

[bigdecisions24]

I'm looking for advise/recommendations re secondary school’s in Belfast.
We are in the early stages of planning a move from London ( to South Belfast specifically) and need to find a school for DS currently yr9.
Have absolutely no clue where to start re schools as no contacts in NI.
He is currently at an all boys catholic school. He is reasonably outgoing and confident, quite academic but not sporty.
Are there any obvious choices we should consider equally places to avoid?
Worried his English accent may make him an easy target for teasing/ bullying.
Would really appreciate any insight

I'm in that area with a teenager at Sullivan, and friends in most of the local schools, so some insight. Glenlola takes a broader range of abilities than some of the other grammars, friends say that pastoral care and support is good, teaching can be variable.

Sullivan (mixed) and Strathearn (all girls) are the non-Catholic schools with the highest 11+ requirements I think, although my kid finds the teaching a bit hit and miss at Sullivan too - it's like they assume all the kids are clever so they don't have to put much effort in, if you see what I mean? Friends whose kids are in Strathearn are very positive about it. English kids will be nothing out of the ordinary in any of those schools, and are unlikely to have any bother.

From Maxwell you could easily access dedicated bus services (not free) to the likes of Strathearn on the nearby Bryansburn Road, but it will definitely take a lot more than 18 minutes!! The distances may look small but the roads and traffic congestion in NI are awful. Just announced today that trains will start running from the new Grand Central station from 13 October, but I don't know if that means all services.

I presume the local primary PP referred to upthread is Grange Park. It has a good reputation but I personally can't recommend it, my older one was fine there, but the younger one had a rough time and they were less than helpful. Their safeguarding left a lot to be desired. They've had a new head since then though, so it may be better now

Nimumcofused.

I noticed that the Grammar schools in Northern Ireland tend to admit the top 40% of ability range, as opposed to the two models of selection which apply in England. These being the traditional top 25% models used in Kent, Trafford Lincolnshire etc and the super selective types such as Henrietta Barnett where 2000 apply for 100 places !

Having read the Prospectus and noted the large use of You Tube by Glenlola it comes across as a school that is very driven by Pastoral care. Regarding exam results Glenola also try to reason why their results are lower then Strathearn and similar to Bloomfield by highlighting a more diverse and larger cohort of pupils.

I have also noted that entry to 6th form in Northern Ireland Grammar schools is around 12- 14 points which equates to 6 or 7 B grades . This is lower than a number of English Grammar schools which often require between 3 and 5 Grade 7's and a number of grade 6's for admittance. So in terms of points over 20 points !

This could be down to either A grades from CCEA is more difficult to gain than a 7 from a English Exam board, or possibly more likely that more Grammar places are available, due to being 'countrywide' system.

A and A* grades might be more difficult to attain than a 7/8,or 9 from a English GCSE Board.

I think what you have to get your head round is that the school system in Northern Ireland does not bear much resemblance to the English one, and also that it varies quite a lot even across NI. Belfast and North Down are very wedded to their grammar schools, while around Craigavon direction they have a junior and senior high school system and many kids there change school at 14. In some areas everyone just goes to their local school and they don't bother much with the transfer test.

Then you've got the complications that come with the twin track maintained/Catholic systems.

"Grammar" can contain multitudes - some of them are comprehensives in all but name, Campbell College used to be like this, when the transfer test was marked A-E, they often took boys with a D grade.

Sixth form is also different. We don't have sixth form colleges, if you're doing A level you'll mostly just stay at the school you went to at 11. You might change to another school if your current one doesn't do a subject you want maybe. Colleges are mainly for vocational courses, BTecs etc.

I don't think it's more difficult to get the higher grades here. Traditionally people said education here was great because we got more kids leaving school with 5 or more GCSE passes, but we also have more leaving with no qualifications. Maybe it's that enough of them leave after GCSE for there not to be much pressure on places in sixth form - not sure.

Niconfusedmum:

Yes sisters husband had friends that ended up boarding at Campbell College because, they tended to score very lowly in what was then the 11+. He told me that then Campbell College had a reputation for letting 'failing' boys become boarding pupils. This apparently also went on at Victoria College for the girls. Methodist boys tended to date Victoria girls, whereas Campbell College used to be the brothers of Strathearn girls !
.

Campbell College is mostly for rich boys who fail the 11+. It’s an independent school but it’s inexpensive compared to the UK ones.

That was definitely the case when I was at school and it was very much seen as a place to make connections rather than get an education - standing joke was that it took "the cream of Ulster society - rich and thick!". I think it's changed a bit now. A friend of mine has one teen in Sullivan and one in Campbell, and she feels the quality of the teaching in Campbell is better.

To be fair I think all the schools that had boarding departments did that, I know Methody did. Campbell used to accept much lower transfer test grades even as day pupils though. But, as I said above, I think it's much better now, certainly my friend's lad has had a good experience there and done very well academically.

An issue i don't understand about the schools in Northern Ireland is the reluctance of Catholic schools to play Hockey, Rugby And Cricket. In Particular Rugby and Cricket which teams represent the whole of Ireland. Ireland are an exceptional Rugby team and even in Cricket with the likes of Eoin Morgan.

This is another reason why my currently Catholic Grammar school educated niece will probably educated the Catholic system. She is a county hockey player and also an aspiring junior England international and good Cricket player as well.

Regarding integration which is so important for Northern Ireland's future I have just researched St Columbanus College In Bangor which is effectively a Inter- grated school with a Catholic ethos. The Catholic Grammar School I went to in England had far more integration, then most in Northern Ireland which need to be more open.

Not be educated in the Catholic system. Rushing

I guess the catholic schools can't offer all the options: Gaelic and hurling and camogie as well as hockey and rugby and cricket.

Having said that, St Dominic's (which you ruled out earlier) does do hockey!

Yeah St Dominic’s and its sister school, Dominican College (Fortwilliam) both do hockey. I think Aquinas does too but could be wrong there.

Campbell is a state grammar. Through a quirk in its set up (voluntary b grammar), it’s allowed to charge top up fees and paid boarding places. I agree it is doing great work in providing a fantastic all round education for less academic boys in a beautiful location.

Methody currently is the most oversubscribed (as of 2024), but that so far isn’t translating into the best results. It’s a fantastic school in a great location though.

My kids are at neither of these schools btw!

RBAI also charges "fees" of about £1000 a year. Campbell also offers boarding so there's separate fees involved there.

Hi there, just found this thread as am frantically researching Belfast schools! We are moving from Hertfordshire to Belfast as hubbie has a job there - he has already started but is commuting and we would all like to join him after GCSES next summer. We have one daughter and I'm looking for a mid level academically sixth form with lots of sport and mixed. We are catholic, but I don't really mind - she is in a church of england private school here, so we're not terribly observant! I was looking at Belfast Royal Academy and Methody - there have been lots of comments on Methody, but no one has mentioned BRA - is it terrible!?

Where will you be living? BRA is a good school but would be a trek from east Belfast. There are not really sixth form colleges here as there are in England. Most will stay at the same a school they did GCSE in.

Thanks hopeishere. We will be living in the Malone Road area - renting at the moment but hoping to buy there. Yes, I had heard there wasn't much movement at sixth form in NI, but that BRA might have places. I like the A level offering - a few more "less academic" options and DD has a Herts accent, so want to go somewhere where she can make friends and ideally not be the only new girl

DD was a Methody girl - always quite a bit of movement at sixth form level, she would be far from the only new girl. Any new pupils tend to integrate really quickly - it’s a great environment with wonderful students and lots going on extra-curricularly. You shouldn’t have too much difficulty in getting a place as long as you register interest soon (ideally now). It’s the most diverse school in NI - her accent wouldn’t stand out whatsoever

BRA would be a bit of a journey from BT9. Belfast public transport is woeful!!

Methody - as you said very good.

Victoria- all girls. Good. Sporty.
Rathmore - catholic, co-ed, very good, bus along the Malone Road to it
OLSPCK - catholic, co-ed, very good (exam factory, not much sport they do netball) bus to it
Aquinas - catholic, coed, very good, also has a bus from BT9

Agree with the above summary.

Theres loads of movement into Methody at 6th form and it’s a very diverse school - back in my day it was about 40% Catholic (which is a lot for a “Protestant” school) and there are always lots of international/English students as well as NI born and bred. If you’re living near Malone Road it’s the natural choice (it is on the Malone Rd) unless you really wanted single sex.

Thanks very much for all this info. Have just registered her for Methody and unlike here, they didn't ask for £150, which was very refreshing !

Great. Any other Belfast / BT9 tips send me a message!

If you're near a train station in BT9 then the train would be a good option for BRA. Train to York street then there's a school bus (around 5-10 minutes). BRA also very diverse and English accents would not stand out. Very big on sports/ music/ arts/ drama.