Northern Ireland School

[jeremy2017]

hello, I am come from oversea. I want to send my son to NI for study year 7. Which school is better? Please recommend me. Thank you.

royal school, armagh
royal school, dungannon,
cambell
rockport school

I think the a level results have just been published - worth a Google.

Do you require a particular area? If he is moving into year 8 (age 12) and you wish for a grammar school place then he will need to take the transfer test, of which (like almost everything else here) there are two
Versions - AQE, broadly carering for state schools (in NI that usually reads as Protestant schools) and the GL for entry to a Catholic school. In general and consistently over time the Catholic schools outperform the state ones and 9of the top 10 NI schools this year were Catholic. Some (including the top spot are single sex girls though). You do not have to be Catholic to attend.
I know very little about the schools you mention although one on your list would be known as a place where you pay when you haven't been bright enough for a grammar place. I have no idea if this is a fair comment.
Grammar schools will generally require a test of some sort even if entry is beyond year 8.
Top schools in belfast include Aquinis, Rathmore, Methodist, Our Lady and St Patrick's, Belfast Royal Academy ...outside Belfast Newry has many of the top schools. Hope this helps a bit.

m.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/education/league-tables-northern-ireland-schools-at-alevel-34679570.html

By year 7, do you mean primary 7? Age 11/12? That's the year that primary children do the transfer test and it may be hard for your son to get a place. Paying for a place at Campbell or Rockport may be necessary.

You should probably start contacting the schools now, NI schools have 8 weeks holiday over the summer and it's nearly the end of term.

Also, I think the transfer tests are merging this year or next so there won't be 2 different versions.

Agree with Flavia but o would not hold my breath on a single test, the two sectors each have an interest in keeping their own - and we have no government at the moment to push for change which would take a few years to implement in any case.

I assume you are thinking of boarding?

Those schools are in very different areas - two in/close to Belfast and the others in smaller towns. They are all decent schools in their own way. Campbell is in the heart of East Belfast - strong at rugby and maybe less academic these days than some of its Belfast peers.

The two Royal schools have a long proud history dating back 400 years but they are both essentially local grammar schools these days with some boarders - they produce decent results (probably better than Campbell) and average/OK sports. Rockport is fee-paying for day pupils as well as boarders, which is unusual in Northern Ireland and set in Holywood on the outskirts of East Belfast.