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Sullivan Upper School: Year 8 entry

Belfast Road, Holywood, BT18 9EP

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

    No fixed minimum score; places by rank order (top 120) and a pool drawn from applicants ranked within the highest 165 Schools’ Entrance Assessment Group () scores.

    Checked, source: Sullivan Upper School, checked

  • Year 8 places

    150

    2026 entry, Published Admission Number ()

    Checked, source: Sullivan Upper School, checked

  • Lowest score offered

    217

    2026 entry, round not stated

    Checked, source: Sullivan Upper School, checked

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. Sullivan Upper 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Most Northern Ireland schools do not publish how far places reached.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.

Lowest score offered a place

Scores are on the aggregate score scale.

  1. 2026 entryRound not stated

    The lowest score offered a place was 217.

Source: Sullivan Upper School, checked

About these figures

Sullivan publishes a statement after each round. These are past numbers from the school, not a pass mark. They move every year with the group of children applying.

  • Last place filled on score alone, September 2026 entry: a TSAS of 217sullivan-upper-school-2026-tsas-1: ValueChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Sullivan Upper School.The source says: The Board of Governors applied the published admissions criteria and the first 120 applications were selected under the criterion Rank Order of the SEAG score. The 120th place fell on a SEAG score of 217.View the official source. Some children with lower scores still got in through the pool.
  • Bottom of the pool, September 2026 entry: a TSAS of 201sullivan-upper-school-2026-tsas-2: ValueChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Sullivan Upper School.The source says: This left 30 places to be filled from the ‘pool’. The 165th place fell on a SEAG score of 201 and there were a total of 45 applications in the ‘pool’.View the official source. Pool places went by the criteria above, so the lowest score actually admitted was not published.

The school's own summary for that year: September 2026 entry: 189 applications (180 first preference) for 150 places. 120 places went in SEAG score order (120th place at 217); the other 30 went to a pool of 45 applicants scoring down to 201, using FSME, prep, sibling and feeder-school criteria, then BT18, score and distance.Sullivan Upper School: Oversubscription statement2026Checked 9 Oct 2026 against Sullivan Upper School.The source says: Sullivan Upper School received a total of 189 applications via the EA Connect online portal, of which 180 were first choice preferences. There were 150 places available. ... The 120th place fell on a SEAG score of 217. This left 30 places to be filled from the ‘pool’. The 165th place fell on a SEAG score of 201 and there were a total of 45 applications in the ‘pool’. ... All applicants in the pool who met criteria 3.1 (Free School Meals) or 3.2 (Prep) or 3.3 (Sibling) or 3.4 (3-Feeder Primary Schools) were selected (26 in total).View the official source

At a glance

Sullivan Upper School in brief

tap a value for its source

Year 8 places
150Year 8 placesChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Sullivan Upper School.The source says: The first 120 places from the admissions total of 150 will be allocated to those applicants who have applied and provided a SEAG Total Standardised Age ScoreView the official source2026 entry
The (PAN): how many children the school plans to admit.
Pupils
co-educationalPupilsChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Sullivan Upper School.The source says: Sullivan Upper is a co-educational, inter-denominational, voluntary grammar school.View 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 comparison, last year's EA deadline was noon on Thursday 19 February 2026Northern Ireland 2026 entry: Transfer application deadlineChecked 9 Oct 2026 against nidirect (NI Government).The source says: The Post Primary online application procedure closes at 12.00 noon on Thursday 19 February 2026.View the official source. Sullivan looked at punctual forms first: Punctual applications considered before late ones; applications after 12.00 noon 19 February 2026 and up to 4.00 pm 24 February 2026 treated as late.Sullivan Upper School: Late applicationsChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Sullivan Upper School.The source says: An application received after 12.00 noon (GMT) on 19 February 2026 and up to 4.00 pm on 24 February 2026 will be treated as a late application.View the official source

How places are given

13 admission rules, in order, for 2026 entry

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

  1. 1

    Criterion 1: children resident in Northern Ireland at the time of proposed admission come before non-residents

    The policy's own words
    1 Children resident in Northern Ireland at the time of their proposed admission will be selected for admission to the school before any child not so resident.
  2. 2

    Criterion 2: first 120 of 150 places by rank order of SEAG Total Standardised Age Score (TSAS) (ties at 120th place all admitted up to the admission number, using criteria 3 if needed)

    The policy's own words
    2 The first 120 places from the admissions total of 150 will be allocated to those applicants who have applied and provided a SEAG Total Standardised Age Score
  3. 3

    Criterion 3: pool of around 45 next applicants by rank order within the highest 165 SEAG scores; remaining places allocated from the pool using 3.1-3.7

    The policy's own words
    3 Following the allocation of places as described in criterion 2 (above), a limited pool of around 45 applicants will be identified from the remaining applicants
  4. 4

    3.1: entitled to free school meals

    The policy's own words
    3.1 Applicants who are entitled to free school meals
  5. 5

    3.2: transferring from Sullivan Upper Preparatory School

    The policy's own words
    3.2 Applicants who are transferring from Sullivan Upper Preparatory School;
  6. 6

    3.3: another child of the family currently enrolled

    The policy's own words
    3.3 Applicants who, at the date of their application, have another child of the family currently enrolled at the school;
  7. 7

    3.4: transferring from Glencraig IPS, Holywood PS or St Patrick's PS Holywood

    The policy's own words
    3.4 Applicants who are transferring from one of the following schools (listed alphabetically):
  8. 8

    3.5: transferring from one of 13 named primary schools (Bangor, Belfast, Dundonald, Campbell College Junior School)

    The policy's own words
    3.5 Applicants who are transferring from one of the following schools (listed alphabetically):
  9. 9

    3.6: resident within the Holywood postal district of BT18

    The policy's own words
    3.6 Applicants who are resident within the Holywood postal district of BT18;
  10. 10

    3.7.1: higher SEAG TSAS first

    The policy's own words
    3.7.1 The SEAG Total Standardised Age Score, those achieving higher scores being allocated places before those achieving lower scores.
  11. 11

    3.7.2: equal scores - nearest home to school front entrance by road

    The policy's own words
    3.7.2 If more than one applicant is eligible for the final place because they have equal scores, preference will be given to the applicant whose normal place of residence is located nearest to the front entrance [Belfast Road entrance] of the school
  12. 12

    3.7.3: still tied - computer-based random ranking seeded by applicant's name

    The policy's own words
    3.7.3 In the unlikely event that, on the application of the criteria above, two or more applicants are tied for the final place(s), then the applicants will be ranked for acceptance on the basis of a computer-based process
  13. 13

    Criterion 4: unfilled places - other applicants with SEAG TSAS (higher first), then those who did not sit SEAG, applying criteria 3

    The policy's own words
    4 If, following the application of the criteria outlined above (criteria 1, 2 and 3), all the available places for admission have not been filled

Source: Sullivan Upper School, checked

More detail from our guide

These are last year's rules. What follows comes from Sullivan's Admissions Criteria for Entry into Year 8 in September 2026Sullivan Upper School: Document title (2026)Checked 9 Oct 2026 against Sullivan Upper School.The source says: ADMISSIONS CRITERIA FOR ENTRY INTO YEAR 8 | | Entry | IN SEPTEMBER 2026View the official source, reviewed by governors in November 2025Sullivan Upper School: Approved date (2026)Checked 9 Oct 2026 against Sullivan Upper School.The source says: First Approved by Board of Governors: 26/09/2011 ... Reviewed by Board of Governors: /11/2025View the official source. The September 2027 version is Sullivan Upper School: Criteria published (2027)Not yet published by Sullivan Upper School; last checked 9 Oct 2026.The source says: Year 8 Admissions Criteria 2026/27 Admissions Criteria for 2026/27 for Entry into Year 8View the official source. Criteria can change from year to year, so read the new document as soon as it appears.

The 2026 process worked in layers:

  • Residence first. Children living in Northern Ireland when they would start were considered before anyone else.
  • Score order for most places. First 120 places by rank order of SEAG Total Standardised Age Score; a pool of around 45 next-highest scorers (within the top 165 scores) then filled by sub-criteria 3.1-3.7.Sullivan Upper School: Selection metric (2026)Checked 9 Oct 2026 against Sullivan Upper School.The source says: on the basis of the rank order of their respective scores with those achieving higher scores being allocated places before those achieving lower scores ... a limited pool of around 45 applicants will be identified from the remaining applicants, again by rank order of their SEAG Total Standardised Age Scores [including those to whom Special Circumstances or Special Provisions apply], who are ranked within the highest 165 SEAG scoresView the official source There was no fixed minimum score.
  • The pool. Inside the pool, the order was: free school meals; the school's own prep; a brother or sister already at Sullivan; named Holywood primaries; a longer list of named primaries; living in the Holywood postal district; then higher score, then road distance.

Some details matter here. A sibling means Another child of the family currently enrolled at the school at the date of application; 'child of the family' includes step, half, adopted, fostered children and children treated as a child of the family (e.g. an orphaned cousin).Sullivan Upper School: Sibling criterion (2026)Checked 9 Oct 2026 against Sullivan Upper School.The source says: 3.3 Applicants who, at the date of their application, have another child of the family currently enrolled at the school; Child of the family covers: a child born to a married couple or to a couple in a civil partnership; a child born to a co-habiting couple; a child born to a single parent; a child of either/any of those people by a previous marriage, civil partnership or relationship; a child living with a couple who has been treated as a “child of the family” whether there is a marriage or a civil partnership or not; a child living with an individual, who has been treated as a “child of the family”; an adopted or fostered child; a situation where for example an orphaned cousin is being brought up with a family or individual.View the official source If two children could still not be separated: Computer programme generates a ranking number for each applicant using the name on the Transfer Application as seed for a random number generator; lowest numbers given places.Sullivan Upper School: Final tie break (2026)Checked 9 Oct 2026 against Sullivan Upper School.The source says: The process is carried out by means of a computer programme which, for each applicant, generates a ranking number using the details from the Transfer Application as the seed for a random number generator.View the official source

Pool detail (September 2026 entry)
Feeder primaries, in their tiersThree tiers within the pool: 3.2 own Preparatory School; 3.4 three named Holywood-area primaries; 3.5 thirteen further named primaries. Named schools: Sullivan Upper Preparatory School, Glencraig Integrated Primary School, Holywood Primary School, St Patrick’s Primary School, Holywood, Ballyholme Primary School, Bangor, Bangor Central Integrated Primary School, Bangor, Campbell College Junior School, Crawfordsburn Primary School, Bangor, Dundonald Primary School, Dundonald, Gilhahirk Primary School, Belfast, Grange Park Primary School, Bangor, Kilmaine Primary School, Bangor, Knocknagoney Primary School, Belfast, Rathmore Primary School, Bangor, St Comgall’s Primary School, Bangor, Strandtown Primary School, Belfast, Towerview Primary School, BangorSullivan Upper School: Feeder criterion (2026)Checked 9 Oct 2026 against Sullivan Upper School.The source says: 3.2 Applicants who are transferring from Sullivan Upper Preparatory School; ... 3.4 Applicants who are transferring from one of the following schools (listed alphabetically): ... 3.5 Applicants who are transferring from one of the following schools (listed alphabetically):View the official source
Full pool order(1) 3.1 Entitled to free school meals. (2) 3.2 Transferring from Sullivan Upper Preparatory School. (3) 3.3 Another child of the family currently enrolled. (4) 3.4 Three named Holywood-area primary schools. (5) 3.5 Thirteen further named primary schools. (6) 3.6 Resident in the Holywood BT18 postal district. (7) 3.7.1 Higher SEAG Total Standardised Age Score. (8) 3.7.2 Nearest normal place of residence to the Belfast Road entrance by most direct road route. (9) 3.7.3 Computer-based random ranking seeded by applicant's name.Sullivan Upper School: Tie breakers (2026)Checked 9 Oct 2026 against Sullivan Upper School.The source says: In the event that there are more applicants complying with a particular criterion than there are places available or remaining, those applicants complying with that criterion will go forward to be considered under the next criterion and those not complying will be eliminated.View the official source

FSME counted only inside the pool. It was the first test there, rather than a set quota of places.

Special circumstances. SEAG does not adjust marks for a bad day; the school deals with it. At Sullivan: Claims for Special Circumstances (Form SC) or Special Provisions (Form SP), with independent documentary evidence, uploaded to the Transfer Application; a Panel of Governors decides and, if accepted, determines a score.Sullivan Upper School: Special circumstances (2026)Checked 9 Oct 2026 against Sullivan Upper School.The source says: Sullivan Upper School has academic performance as its second criterion, subject only to the consideration of medical or other problems which may have affected performance in the SEAG Entrance Assessment and which are supported by independent documentary evidence of a medical or other appropriate nature. ... Parents/Guardians who wish to apply to the School under Special Circumstances should complete Form SC obtainable on the school website (https://www.sullivanupper.co.uk/admissions), and upload it, with appropriate documentary evidence, to the Transfer Application.View the official source

No SEAG result? Considered only if places remain after criteria 1-3: first applicants with a SEAG TSAS (higher scores first), then applicants who have not taken the SEAG Entrance Assessment, with criteria 3 applied.Sullivan Upper School: Applicants without result (2026)Checked 9 Oct 2026 against Sullivan Upper School.The source says: 4 If, following the application of the criteria outlined above (criteria 1, 2 and 3), all the available places for admission have not been filled, the Board of Governors will consider any other applications, firstly from applicants who have received a SEAG Total Standardised Age Score (those with higher scores being allocated places before those with lower scores), and then from applicants who have not taken the SEAG Entrance Assessment. Allocation of these remaining places, if any, will be by application of the criteria outlined in criteria 3 above.View the official source

Waiting list. Refused Year 8 applicants automatically added; ranked by the published criteria; held until the end of the academic year.Sullivan Upper School: Waiting listChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Sullivan Upper School.The source says: For Year 8, all applications for admission to Year 8 that were initially refused [ie in the Transfer Procedure] will be automatically added to the waiting list. ... The waiting list will be in place until the end of the academic year for which application is made.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

Sullivan does not set its own entrance test. Children sit the SEAG papers, 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, in November (two Saturdays)Northern Ireland: Test monthChecked 9 Oct 2026 against SEAG (Schools' Entrance Assessment Group).The source says: SEAG provides an Entrance Assessment, held in November each year, for pupils who are in their final year of primary school.View the official source. The number Sullivan cares about is the Total Standardised Age Score (TSAS), which runs 138 to 282, average 200SEAG (Northern Ireland): total score range (total standardised age score)Checked 9 Oct 2026 against SEAG (Schools' Entrance Assessment Group).The source says: The Total SAS range will be 138-282 with a mean (or average) of 200.View the official source. In last year's criteria it ranked children by that score, not by band.

The centre your child is assigned to makes no difference to an application here. If they are sitting the papers at Sullivan, the school has planned a SEAG familiarisation afternoon for children testing at Sullivan Upper: Thursday 15 October 2026, arrive 3.45 pm for 4 pm startSullivan Upper School: Familiarisation sessionChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Sullivan Upper School.The source says: Familiarisation Session - Thursday 15 October 2026 ​We are looking forward to welcoming the children taking their tests at Sullivan Upper to a Familiarisation afternoon - Letters will be issued week beginning 6 October 2026. Children should arrive at 3.45 pm for a 4 pm start.View the official source.

Our SEAG transfer test guide covers the format, and results explained shows how to read the Statement of Outcomes.

How the Northern Ireland test works

Open days

All this year's events have passed

  1. Done: Open Day for P7 pupils and parents (passed)

    9.30 am-12.30 pm

Source: Sullivan Upper School, 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 Sullivan cannot offer a place, your application moves to your next preference. You can also appeal.

  • How to apply: 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 only ground: The school did not apply, or did not correctly apply, its admissions criteria.Northern Ireland: GroundsChecked 9 Oct 2026 against nidirect (NI Government).The source says: You can appeal if you think the school did not apply their admissions criteria or did not apply them correctly.View the official source
  • What the panel sees: Only the evidence the board of governors had when it offered places; the tribunal does not challenge the criteria.Northern Ireland: Evidence limitChecked 9 Oct 2026 against nidirect (NI Government).The source says: The tribunal considers the evidence available to the school's board of governors when they offered school places to children. The tribunal cannot take into account any additional information that wasn't available to the board of governors when they offered places. The tribunal doesn't challenge a school's admissions criteria.View the official source

With a score-ranked pool like Sullivan's, an appeal turns on whether each criterion was applied correctly to your child.

The 2027 appeal deadline 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. Last year 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

6 sources, each kept as an archived copy

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