No school places in Belfast

[Trufflepizza]

Oh my starsss, we're moving to Belfast from London next week and cannot get a school place for our 13 year old son. Every single school we've contacted is oversubscribed and not even taking names for a waitlist!!
Does anyone have experience of this and if so, what did you do in the end?!

What schools have you tried OP? DD went to Methody - they usually have an opening or two for each year group at the start of the academic year. Considering all of the schools have started back this week it’s likely you won’t find anything until next year though.

Your only option may be fee paying I’m afraid! Rockport is a very good private school. If you are used to London prices it may be worth considering for a year before you can get him into a good school elsewhere.

left it a touch… late

It's a bit late 😔 might have to be a home education thing until a place comes up.

Have you looked into Campbell College OP? Another fee paying one in which you may have more hope

Where are you?

Belfast High is accessible from Belfast. Carrickfergus Grammar too, both accessible via train from Belfast.

Belfast High isn't actually in Belfast btw.. it's just outside, Jordanstown

Thank you, they aren't on my radar, will try them in the morning.

We have, and they're not taking any new children in! Thank you though.

I know , it was never our intention but just things happened super fast..

Yes, definitely. Not our intention but that's how it happened.... I'm also searching for homeschooling groups but there's not a whisper!!!

We've tried around 20, Methody have a place for our primary school daughter but nothing for our son!
It makes me wonder what all the other parents are doing, as every single school we called is full!!!

Whereabouts are you living, how far could he commute? Have you tried any commuter towns and he could commute against the flow?

Where, roughly, in Belfast are you going to live? It's not too bad trying to get out in the morning so say you were south/west then try Wallace and Friends in Lisburn, if east then Regent House in Newtownards or Bangor Grammar.

Barbara H beat me to it!

Was going to suggest a commute to Wallace or Friends would be worth a look. Trains will be back on from Belfast to Lisburn on 8th September.

I’ll be honest. In the kindest way possible you’ve left it very (far too) late, all of the other parents have planned in advance. Belfast secondary school places are very competitive, especially when it comes to grammars. Typically he would also need to take an entry exam for each school.

Just in case you haven’t tried any of these, here are a few other good ones (in Belfast/easily accessible from) off the top of my head :
Wallace High
Friends School Lisburn
Sullivan Upper
Lagan College
Rathmore Grammar
Grosvenor Grammar
Aquinas
Belfast Royal Academy
Down High School (quite far out but there is a direct bus from Belfast)

Thanks all, Friends Of Lisburn have no spaces in any year! I've really never seen anything like it. We are South Belfast and have tried: Grosvenor, Our Lady's, Sullivan Upper, Methody, Friends of Lisburn, Campbell, Belfast Royal, Lagan College, St Malachys, Aquinas, Wellington and Rathmore

RBAI maybe?

"I'm also searching for homeschooling groups but there's not a whisper!!!"

I don't think homeschooling is a big thing here. I don't know anybody who was homeschooled, although maybe there's a big community I don't know about.

Bangor Grammar or Bangor Academy?

You need to look at secondary schools probably. Obviously the grammars are better, but you need to have sat the exams, so that is out this year.

I know a family in Galway who couldn't get secondary school places for their kids after moving home from Australia.

They had to do distance learning through the school they had left in Aus, who luckily were set up for this due to the kids living remotely in the outback.

Not an inspiring story, but I'm sure there will be online homeschooling supports that will hopefully get you through the academic year if a place doesn't turn up.

I presume you've used the department's search function? You can search for all schools within a 2, 5 or 10 mile radius of an address. You'll probably get a huge number and just need to start calling.

What about st Joseph’s. Right next door to Aquinas. Tbh the grammar schools aren’t all that anymore, the Covid intake changed the make up of kids and in recent years the secondary schools have really improved.