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St Joseph's Grammar School, Donaghmore: Year 8 entry

58 Castlecaulfield Road, Donaghmore, Dungannon BT70 3HE

Facts checked 19 October 2026By ExamKind Editorial TeamSchool website

Some details are being re-checked

We check every fact against the official source on a schedule, and some details on this page are due their next check (last verified 19 October 2026). We'll update the page if anything has changed. How we check facts

Can we apply, and what did it take?

For September 2027 entry

  • How places are decided

    By test score, in rank order

    Places allocated in band order Band 1-6; no minimum band or score stated.

    Checked, source: St Joseph's Grammar School Donaghmore, checked

  • Year 8 places

    120

    2026 entry, Published Admission Number ()

    Checked, source: St Joseph's Grammar School Donaghmore, checked

  • Last distance offered

    Not publishedWe have no checked figure for how far offers reached.

Your next deadlines

  1. Next: Re-mark requests close

    in about 15 weeks

    Only if you want the test papers marked again

  2. Coming up: Appeal deadline

    in about 30 weeks

How far offers reached

Can we get in?

How places are given

Northern Ireland grammar schools give Year 8 places using their own admissions criteria, often in order of transfer test result. St Joseph's Grammar School's criteria are under Admission rules on this page.

Qualifying is not the same as being offered a place.

Reaching the school's standard means your child can be considered. If more children qualify than there are places, the school gives places using its admission rules, in order. The figures below show how far those rules reached in past years. They are history, not a prediction: they change every year with who applies.

Checked, source: Department for Education (GOV.UK), checked

Most Northern Ireland schools do not publish how far places reached. Read the school's admissions criteria to see how it ranks applicants, and what transfer test results mean.

At a glance

St Joseph's Grammar School in brief

tap a value for its source

Year 8 places
120 Year 8 places in total (including the Irish Medium Stream): 70 main-school places allocated by SEAG band and 50 Irish Medium Stream places.Year 8 placesChecked 9 Oct 2026 against St Joseph's Grammar School Donaghmore.The source says: Admissions Number: 120* ... *includes IMS ... Main school 70 places Irish Medium Stream 50 placesView the official source2026 entry
The (PAN): how many children the school plans to admit.
Pupils
co-educationalPupilsChecked 9 Oct 2026 against St Joseph's Grammar School Donaghmore.The source says: St Joseph’s Grammar School is a Co-Educational Catholic Voluntary Grammar School with a Catholic ethosView the official source
Who the school admits.
Entrance test
SEAG Entrance Assessment (the NI transfer test)
The test children sit to be considered.

Key dates

Dates for September 2027 entry

For children in P7 in 2026/27.

Add to my calendar

SEAG (Schools' Entrance Assessment Group)

3 earlier steps, all doneShow

  1. Done: Test registration opens

  2. Done: Test registration closes

  3. Done: Admission cards sent for the test

  1. Next: Test day

  2. Coming up: Transfer test, paper 1

  3. Coming up: Transfer test, paper 2

  4. Coming up: Results

  5. Coming up: Re-mark requests open

  6. Coming up: Re-mark requests close

    in about 15 weeks

    Only if you want the test papers marked again

  7. Coming up: Appeal deadline

    in about 30 weeks

    Source: nidirect (NI Government), checked

  8. Not published yet: Transfer application deadline (to the Education Authority)

    Not yet published, checked 17 Oct 2026

  9. Not published yet: School place outcomes

    Not yet published, checked 9 Oct 2026

Year 5 now? Dates for September 2028 entryNone of these dates are published yet.

  1. Not published yet: Test day

    Not yet published, checked 9 Oct 2026

  2. Not published yet: Results

    Not yet published, checked 9 Oct 2026

  3. Not published yet: Appeal deadline

    Not yet published, checked 9 Oct 2026

  4. Not published yet: Transfer application deadline (to the Education Authority)

    Not yet published, checked 9 Oct 2026

Notes on these dates

For 2026 entry: Application received after 19 February 2026 treated as late; punctual applications considered first.St Joseph's Grammar School: Late applicationsChecked 9 Oct 2026 against St Joseph's Grammar School Donaghmore.The source says: An application received after 19th February 2026 will be treated as a late application.View the official source

How places are given

4 admission rules, in order, for 2026 entry

If more children qualify than there are places, St Joseph's Grammar School gives places using these rules (its ), in this order (the 2026 rules; the rules for 2027 entry are not published yet).

  1. 1

    Main school: allocate by Schools’ Entrance Assessment Group () band, Band 1 to Band 6 strictly in order (incl. accepted SC/SP of comparable ability)

    The policy's own words
    1. Available places will be allocated to pupils who have obtained Band 1, Band 2, Band 3, Band 4, Band 5, Band 6 in
  2. 2

    Within an oversubscribed band: St Joseph's named as first preference

    The policy's own words
    2. A child on whose Transfer Form St Joseph’s Grammar School is listed as their first preference post-primary school
  3. 3

    Sibling/half sibling enrolled OR eldest child of the family

    The policy's own words
    3. Applicants who have a sibling/half sibling* enrolled at the school at the time of application.
  4. 4

    Descending age order (eldest first by birth certificate)

    The policy's own words
    4. If, following application of the above criteria, the number of applicants still exceeds the number of places

Source: St Joseph's Grammar School Donaghmore, checked

More detail from our guide

The detail below is from the school's Admissions criteria for entry September 2026 (St Joseph's Grammar School Donaghmore Admissions Criteria 2026 -2027)St Joseph's Grammar School: Document title (2026)Checked 9 Oct 2026 against St Joseph's Grammar School Donaghmore.The source says: Admissions criteria for entry September 2026View the official source, plus the separate Scoil Iósaef criteria. Both were for September 2026. The September 2027 criteria are St Joseph's Grammar School: Criteria published (2027)Not yet published by St Joseph's Grammar School Donaghmore; last checked 9 Oct 2026.The source says: Scoil Iósaef (IMU of St Joseph's GS) Admissions Criteria 2026 -2027 ​ St Joseph's Grammar School Donaghmore Admissions Criteria 2026 -2027View the official source, and the school may change them.

Main school: band first, then other criteria

Places went down the bands in order, with no minimum band set. Usually one band holds more children than there are places left. Inside that band, the school used these steps:

  • St Joseph's named as first preference on the transfer application;
  • then a brother or sister at the school, or being the eldest child (one combined step);
  • then age, oldest first.

That first step matters. In the band where places run out, a child who put St Joseph's first is ahead of a child who put it second, whatever their exact scores.

Main-school detail (September 2026 entry)
Ranking ruleMain school: places allocated by SEAG band strictly in order Band 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6; within an oversubscribed band, sub-criteria 2-4 apply.St Joseph's Grammar School: Selection metric (2026)Checked 9 Oct 2026 against St Joseph's Grammar School Donaghmore.The source says: 1. Available places will be allocated to pupils who have obtained Band 1, Band 2, Band 3, Band 4, Band 5, Band 6 in the November 2025 SEAG Entrance Assessment, strictly in that orderView the official source
SiblingCriterion 3 (combined with eldest child): sibling/half sibling enrolled at the time of application, named on the form; includes half brothers and sisters, adopted and fostered children and orphaned cousins brought up by the family.St Joseph's Grammar School: Sibling criterion (2026)Checked 9 Oct 2026 against St Joseph's Grammar School Donaghmore.The source says: 3. Applicants who have a sibling/half sibling* enrolled at the school at the time of application. [...] to include half brothers and sisters, adopted and fostered children and orphaned cousins being brought up by the familyView the official source
Eldest childCriterion 3 alternative: eldest child of the family eligible to apply to a mainstream school (covers only children; twins/multiples joint eldest).St Joseph's Grammar School: Eldest child criterion (2026)Checked 9 Oct 2026 against St Joseph's Grammar School Donaghmore.The source says: Pupils who are the eldest child of the family eligible to apply for admission to a mainstream school. [...] This wording covers “only” children and is also intended to treat twins (or other multiples) as joint eldest.View the official source
Last stepDescending age order (eldest first, per birth certificate); no further tie-break stated.St Joseph's Grammar School: Final tie break (2026)Checked 9 Oct 2026 against St Joseph's Grammar School Donaghmore.The source says: applicants will be ranked in descending age order ie: the eldest first as noted on the applicant’s original copy Birth CertificateView the official source

Scoil Iósaef: Irish-medium places

Scoil Iósaef Irish Medium Stream: 50 places (main school 70); applicants need at least 5 of 7 primary years through Irish incl. all KS2; oversubscription: Irish-medium requirement, then sibling, then age (eldest first). Unfilled places in either sector go to the other sector.St Joseph's Grammar School: Irish medium unitChecked 9 Oct 2026 against St Joseph's Grammar School Donaghmore.The source says: All applicants to Scoil Iósaef must have had at least 5 out of the 7 years of their primary education through the medium of Irish. Applicants must have completed all of their KS2 education through the medium of Irish in order to be considered for a place in Scoil Iósaef.View the official source

The last point is useful to know. If one stream does not fill, its spare places can go to children who applied for the other.

Special circumstances and special provisions

For a child who sat both papers but was unwell or badly affected, the school weighs a special circumstances claim. For a child who could not sit, or was schooled outside Northern Ireland, there is special provision. Last year's process: Form SC (from the school website) with independent documentary evidence attached to the online Transfer Application; Special Provisions via Form SP by Tuesday 24 February 2026, possibly followed by a Special Provisions Assessment.St Joseph's Grammar School: Special circumstances (2026)Checked 9 Oct 2026 against St Joseph's Grammar School Donaghmore.The source says: Any Parent(s)/legal Guardian(s) claiming Special Circumstances must complete the Claim for Special Circumstances Form (Form SC), available from the school’s website https://www.stjosephsdonaghmore.com.View the official source

More on who could use special provision: Main-school places go by SEAG band. A child who could not sit SEAG (or sat one paper) for a documented reason, or was educated outside NI, can claim Special Provisions (Form SP by 24 Feb 2026) and may sit a school assessment. Irish Medium Stream entry does not use SEAG.St Joseph's Grammar School: Applicants without result (2026)Checked 9 Oct 2026 against St Joseph's Grammar School Donaghmore.The source says: Parent(s)/legal Guardian(s) who are applying for Special Provisions must do so by Tuesday 24 February 2026. ... If it does, those children who the Board of Governors considers to be eligible for ... Special Provisions may be required to complete a Special Provisions Assessment.View the official source

Waiting list and demand

Declined Year 8 places offered to the next child on the waiting list (rank order of unsuccessful original applicants).St Joseph's Grammar School: Waiting listChecked 9 Oct 2026 against St Joseph's Grammar School Donaghmore.The source says: The waiting list is the rank order of all applicants who originally applied to the school for a place and who were not successful in being placed.View the official source

The school prints figures for recent years: year, main-school admissions number, applications across all preferences, and admissions. The school notes that its admissions totals include Irish-medium places, appeals and temporary variations, which is why they run above the admissions number.

Applications and admissions, as printed
Recent years{"year": "2023/2024", "admissionsNumber": 70, "totalApplicationsAllPreferences": 177, "totalAdmissions": 138}; {"year": "2024/2025", "admissionsNumber": 70, "totalApplicationsAllPreferences": 157, "totalAdmissions": 138}; {"year": "2025/2026", "admissionsNumber": 70, "totalApplicationsAllPreferences": 100, "totalAdmissions": 129}St Joseph's Grammar School: Applications historyChecked 9 Oct 2026 against St Joseph's Grammar School Donaghmore.The source says: | 2023/2024 | 70 | 177 | 138* | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2024/2025 | 70 | 157 | 138* | | 2025/2026 | 70 | 100 | 129* |View the official source

The test

SEAG Entrance Assessment (the NI transfer test)
Test
SEAG Entrance Assessment (the NI transfer test)
Test date, 2027 entry
Saturday 14 November 2026

There are two ways into Year 8 here, and only one uses the transfer test.

The main school uses the SEAG Entrance Assessment (two papers, English (or Irish) and mathsSEAG (Northern Ireland): the two test papersChecked 9 Oct 2026 against SEAG (Schools' Entrance Assessment Group).The source says: The SEAG Entrance Assessment consists of two Papers: Paper 1 and Paper 2. Both Papers have an identical format and are set at the same level of difficulty.View the official source). Unlike many grammar schools, St Joseph's looked at the band on the Statement of Outcomes, not the exact TSAS. SEAG's bands work like this: Band 1 = top 40%; Bands 2–5 = 10% each; Band 6 = below the 20th percentileSEAG (Northern Ireland): BandsChecked 9 Oct 2026 against SEAG (Schools' Entrance Assessment Group).The source says: Outcomes are also given as one of six Bands. [...] Band 1 60% or higher Band 2 50-59% Band 3 40-49% Band 4 30-39% Band 5 20-29% Band 6 less than 20% [...] Pupils in Band 1 will be in the top 40% of those who sat the Assessment. Bands 2-5 will each contain 10% of the total cohort.View the official source. So two children in the same band were treated as equal on the test, however far apart their scores.

Scoil Iósaef, the Irish Medium Stream, does not use the test at all. It is for children who have been taught through Irish at primary school.

SEAG sets its papers in English and Irish versionsSEAG (Northern Ireland): Irish versionChecked 9 Oct 2026 against SEAG (Schools' Entrance Assessment Group).The source says: Both English and Gaeilge versions of the Assessment will be available.View the official source, and St Joseph's has been one of the centres for the Irish papers. SEAG's list for 2025 reads: 12 centres in 2025: Abbey CBS (Newry), Assumption Grammar (Ballynahinch), Christian Brothers' Grammar (Omagh), Loreto Grammar (Omagh), Limavady Grammar, Mount Lourdes Grammar (Enniskillen), St Dominic's High (Belfast), St Joseph's Grammar (Donaghmore), St Louis Grammar (Ballymena), St Mary's CBGS (Belfast), St Mary's Grammar (Magherafelt), Thornhill College (Derry)Northern Ireland: Irish invigilation centresChecked 9 Oct 2026 against SEAG (Schools' Entrance Assessment Group).The source says: For 2025, SEAG has 12 Centres providing invigilation in Irish.View the official source.

For more on bands, see results explained. The SEAG transfer test guide covers the rest.

How the Northern Ireland test works

Open days

Next: Open Day, Fri 15 Jan 2027

  1. Done: Open Day (morning and afternoon sessions) (passed)

    morning and afternoon sessions

  2. Coming up: Open Day

Source: St Joseph's Grammar School Donaghmore, checked

If you are refused a place

Reviews, appeals and the waiting list

General information, not legal advice.

This is general information, not legal advice.

If St Joseph's cannot offer a place, your transfer application moves to your next preference. You may also appeal, using the AT1 form, via the EA websiteNorthern Ireland: FormChecked 9 Oct 2026 against nidirect (NI Government).The source says: To appeal a school's decision that has refused your child a place, go to the EA website where you can send the appeal form (AT1 Form).View the official source.

The tribunal does not judge whether the band system is fair. It asks narrower questions: the school didn't apply, or didn't correctly apply, its admissions criteria; the school would have offered the child a place if it had applied its criteria correctlyNorthern Ireland: Uphold testsChecked 9 Oct 2026 against nidirect (NI Government).The source says: The tribunal can only uphold an appeal if: ... they find the school didn't apply or didn't apply correctly its admissions criteria ... and they find the school would have offered the child a place if it had applied its admissions criteria correctlyView the official source. At a band-based school, that often means checking the band used, whether St Joseph's was your first preference, and the sibling or eldest-child details you gave.

The appeal deadline for September 2027 entry is 4pm, Thursday 20 May 2027Northern Ireland transfer: Appeal deadlineChecked 17 Oct 2026 against nidirect (NI Government).The source says: The deadline for receipt of appeal forms against Year 8 decisions by post-primary schools is Thursday 20 May 2027, no later than 4.00 pm.View the official source. For September 2026 entry it was 4pm on Thursday 21 May 2026Northern Ireland 2026 entry: Appeal deadlineChecked 9 Oct 2026 against nidirect (NI Government).The source says: The deadline for receipt of appeal forms against Year 8 decisions by post-primary schools is Thursday 21 May 2026, no later than 4.00 pm.View the official source.

Official documents and sources

5 sources, each kept as an archived copy

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