Carrickfergus Grammar School: Year 8 entry

Our source for this section is the school's Admissions criteria for entry September 2026Source for Carrickfergus Grammar School: Document title (2026)Carrickfergus Grammar School: Document title (2026)CloseChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Carrickfergus Grammar School.The source says: Admissions criteria for entry September 2026View the official source. Treat it as a guide to last year: Carrickfergus Grammar has not released its September 2027 rules, and details may shift.

Full order for 2026 entry: (1) 1.1 NI residents before non-residents. (2) 1.2 SEAG TSAS in strict descending rank order up to 116. (3) 1.3 I: another child of the family enrolled at the school. (4) 1.3 II: eldest eligible child. (5) 1.3 III: attending a contributory primary school or a school closer than any of them. (6) 1.3 IV: random selection (Excel-generated random numbers, higher numbers first). (7) Then, if places remain, children who did not sit SEAG (NI residents) using sub-criteria 1.3.Source for Carrickfergus Grammar School: Oversubscription criteria (2026)Carrickfergus Grammar School: Oversubscription criteria (2026)CloseChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Carrickfergus Grammar School.The source says: If the number of applications is greater than the Admissions Number determined by the Department of Education, the following criteria (to include sub-criteria) shall be applied in the order listed below until the point where the admissions number is reached.View the official source

Put simply, the score ranking fills the places. The sub-criteria after it work as tie-breaks for children level on score at the cut-off. The criteria do not spell that out word for word, but it is how the order reads.

Brother or sister at the school. Another child of the family currently enrolled at the school at the date of application (name and Registration Group on the Transfer Application). 'Child of the family' includes step/half siblings, adopted or fostered children and e.g. an orphaned cousin brought up with the family.Source for Carrickfergus Grammar School: Sibling criterion (2026)Carrickfergus Grammar School: Sibling criterion (2026)CloseChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Carrickfergus Grammar School.The source says: I. Children who, at the date of their application, have another child of the family currently enrolled at the school [state name(s) and Registration Group(s) on the Transfer Application];View the official source

Eldest child. Sub-criterion II: eldest eligible child of the family (includes children more than seven years younger than the next sibling, eldest of a reconstituted family, first to transfer to mainstream post-primary because an elder sibling is statemented/in a special school, families relocated to NI; twins/multiples joint eldest). Verifier letter required.Source for Carrickfergus Grammar School: Eldest child criterion (2026)Carrickfergus Grammar School: Eldest child criterion (2026)CloseChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Carrickfergus Grammar School.The source says: II. Childrenwho are the eldest eligiblechild to be eligible to be accepted for enrolment in the School ... in September 2026.View the official source

Contributory primary schools. A child at one of the listed primaries counts here. So does a child whose own school is closer to Carrickfergus Grammar, measured in a straight line, than any listed primary. The list is in the table below.

Random selection. Each application allocated an electronically generated random number in Microsoft Excel; ranked with higher numbers having preference.Source for Carrickfergus Grammar School: Final tie break (2026)Carrickfergus Grammar School: Final tie break (2026)CloseChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Carrickfergus Grammar School.The source says: IV. Children will be selected for admission on the basis of a random selection process. Each application to be ... consideredatthisstagewillbeallocatedarandom numberelectronicallygeneratedwithin“MicrosoftExcel”;the ... applicationswillthenberankedinnumericalorder,withhighernumbershavingpreference overlowernumbers.View the official source

Special circumstances. Form SC (from the school) stating the precise reason, uploaded with documentary evidence and educational evidence (SEAG TSAS, Year 5-7 standardised test results, anonymised class comparison) with the Transfer Application. Where upheld, the Admissions Sub-committee assigns an equivalent TSAS. Claims are decided before the criteria are applied.Source for Carrickfergus Grammar School: Special circumstances (2026)Carrickfergus Grammar School: Special circumstances (2026)CloseChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Carrickfergus Grammar School.The source says: Parents/guardians who wish to apply to the School under Special Circumstances should complete Form SC, obtainable from the School, stating the precise reason why they believe the child should be considered for Special Circumstances. The SC Form and appropriate documentary evidence should be uploaded with the Transfer Application.View the official source

Children without a SEAG score. If places remain after all children with a SEAG TSAS (or assigned score) are considered, children who have not taken the SEAG Entrance Assessment and satisfy criterion 1.1 (NI residence) are allocated remaining places using sub-criteria 1.3. Special Provisions (transfer from outside NI, more than half of primary education outside NI, unable to sit/one paper only, religious observance) lead to an independent assessment and an assigned TSAS.Source for Carrickfergus Grammar School: Applicants without result (2026)Carrickfergus Grammar School: Applicants without result (2026)CloseChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Carrickfergus Grammar School.The source says: the School will consider for admission any children who have not taken the SEAG Entrance Assessment. Such children, if they satisfy Criterion 1.1, will be allocated to the remaining place(s) up to the School’s Admissions Number using the sub-criteria listed in section 1.3 in the order set out.View the official source

Lateness and the waiting list. Applications after 12 noon Thursday 19 February 2026 and up to 4pm Tuesday 24 February 2026 are late; punctual applications are considered first.Source for Carrickfergus Grammar School: Late applicationsCarrickfergus Grammar School: Late applicationsCloseChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Carrickfergus Grammar School.The source says: During the admissions procedure when applying the criteria punctual applications will be considered before late ... applications are considered.View the official source Separate Year 8 waiting list of unsuccessful, new and updated applications, in place until 30 June 2027; vacancies filled using the admissions criteria.Source for Carrickfergus Grammar School: Waiting listCarrickfergus Grammar School: Waiting listCloseChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Carrickfergus Grammar School.The source says: Carrickfergus Grammar School operates a separate waiting list for Year 8. All applications for admission to Year 8 that were unsuccessful in obtaining a place in the school will be automatically added to the waiting list. New applications and applications where new information has been provided will also be added to the waiting list. The Year 8 waiting list will be in place until 30 June 2027.View the official source

Who decides these rules? As at every NI grammar school, the criteria are set by the school's Board of GovernorsSource for Northern Ireland: Criteria set byNorthern Ireland: Criteria set byCloseChecked 9 Oct 2026 against nidirect (NI Government).The source says: The school's Board of Governors set the criteria.View the official source, and they are reviewed each year.