With the new school year fast-approaching, parents of primary school leavers face sending their children off to secondary school.
But picking out the right one isn’t always easy, and sometimes with multiple local options available, there’s a difficult choice to be made.
Each year, the Sunday Times’ Parent Power Guide league table names the top schools in Northern Ireland.
The guide ranks secondary schools based on two different performance factors; the amount of A*, A and B grades earned out of the total number of A Levels sat by students, and the amount of A* and A grade equivalents (scores of 7, 8 or 9 in England’s numerical system) out of the total number of GCSE exams sat.
While exam performance isn’t everything when it comes to what makes a school good, it can be an important indicator that students are being supported to reach their full potential.
Here’s the schools that came out on top:
5. St Dominic’s Grammar School for Girls
St Dominic’s is a girls Catholic grammar school in Belfast. It is selective, meaning students may have to pass an exam to secure a place. Last year 88.8% of A Levels sat by its students achieved A* to B grades, while 72.2% of GCSEs sat passed with A* or A equivalents (scores of 7, 8 or 9 in England’s numerical system). | Google
6. Strathearn School
Strathearn is another selective girls grammar school in Belfast. Last year 84.9% of A Levels sat by its students achieved A* to B grades, while 76.4% of GCSEs sat passed with A* or A equivalents (scores of 7, 8 or 9 in England’s numerical system). | Google
7. Sullivan Upper School
This is a mixed gender and non-denominational selective grammar school in Holywood, County Down. Last year 82.3% of A Levels sat by its students achieved A* to B grades, while 80.9% of GCSEs sat passed with A* or A equivalents (scores of 7, 8 or 9 in England’s numerical system). | Google
8. St Louis Grammar School
St Louis is a Catholic grammar school in Ballymena, County Antrim. It is selective, meaning students may have to pass an exam to secure a place. Last year 86.3% of A Levels sat by its students achieved A* to B grades, while 68.1% of GCSEs sat passed with A* or A equivalents (scores of 7, 8 or 9 in England’s numerical system). | Google