Skip to main content
Search ExamKind
Reading options
Colours
Reading comfort
Background tint

Saved in a cookie on this device only.

Free and independent. No ads, no affiliate links. Every fact shows its source and the date we checked it.

Thornhill College: Year 8 entry

142 Culmore Road, Derry, BT48 8JF

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

    All six bands are ranked in order; no minimum band stated.

    Checked, source: Thornhill College, checked

  • Year 8 places

    200

    2026 entry, Published Admission Number ()

    Checked, source: Thornhill College, 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. Thornhill College'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Most Northern Ireland schools do not publish how far places reached.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

Thornhill College in brief

tap a value for its source

Pupils
girlsPupilsChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Thornhill College.The source says: | 142 Culmore Road | Girls Age Range: 11-18 |View the official source
Who the school admits.
Year 8 places
200Year 8 placesChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Thornhill College.The source says: Admission Number: 200View the official source2026 entry
The (PAN): how many children the school plans to admit.
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

How places are given

10 admission rules, in order, for 2026 entry

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

  1. 1

    Band 1 applicants (plus accepted SC/SP claims judged comparable to Band 1)

    The policy's own words
    1 Applicants who have been awarded BAND 1 in the SEAG Entrance Assessment and also those
  2. 2

    Band 2 applicants (plus comparable SC/SP)

    The policy's own words
    2 Applicants who have been awarded BAND 2 in the SEAG Entrance Assessment and also those
  3. 3

    Band 3 applicants (plus comparable SC/SP)

    The policy's own words
    3 Applicants who have been awarded BAND 3 in the SEAG Entrance Assessment and also those
  4. 4

    Band 4 applicants (plus comparable SC/SP)

    The policy's own words
    4 Applicants who have been awarded BAND 4 in the SEAG Entrance Assessment and also those
  5. 5

    Band 5 applicants (plus comparable SC/SP)

    The policy's own words
    5 | Applicants who have been awarded BAND 5 in the SEAG Entrance Assessment and also those
  6. 6

    Band 6 applicants (plus comparable SC/SP)

    The policy's own words
    6 Applicants who have been awarded BAND 6 in the SEAG Entrance Assessment and also those
  7. 7

    Within an oversubscribed band: (i) child of the family at the College, (ii) eldest eligible child, (iii) Child Looked After

    The policy's own words
    7 In the event of oversubscription of places and there are more applicants with a particular BAND than places
  8. 8

    Then surname initial-letter order set by random selection, then forenames, date of birth, then random computerised selection

    The policy's own words
    8 In the event of oversubscription after the application of sub-criteria 7 (i-iii), applicants will be selected for
  9. 9

    All other applicants (not meeting criteria 1-8)

    The policy's own words
    9 Applicants other than those satisfying any one of criteria 1 – 8 above.
  10. 10

    Within criterion 9 if oversubscribed: sub-criteria (i)-(iii) as in 7, then surname order as in 8

    The policy's own words
    10 In the event of oversubscription after the application of sub-criteria 9 (i-iii), applicants will be selected for

Source: Thornhill College, checked

More detail from our guide

Thornhill's "Admissions Criteria for Entry September 2026Thornhill College: Document title (2026)Checked 9 Oct 2026 against Thornhill College.The source says: Admissions Criteria for Entry September 2026View the official source" is the newest version online. That makes it last year's rulebook. The criteria for September 2027 entry are Thornhill College: Criteria published (2027)Not yet published by Thornhill College; last checked 9 Oct 2026.The source says: 2026 Admissions - Year 8 We invite you to view our admissions criteria for entry to Year 8 in September 2026 by clicking on the link below.View the official source, and the board of governors may change them. We will update this page when they appear.

Does Thornhill rank by score or by band? By band. Admission is by the SEAG Entrance Assessment: applicants are admitted Band 1 to Band 6 in order (criteria 1-6); applicants not meeting criteria 1-8 (e.g. no band) come only under criterion 9, after all banded applicants.Thornhill College: Academic selection (2026)Checked 9 Oct 2026 against Thornhill College.The source says: The Board of Governors has determined that admission to Thornhill College in 2026 will be by an Entrance Test.View the official source

What happens when a band is full? SEAG outcomes ranked Band 1 to Band 6 (criteria 1-6); where a band has more applicants than places remaining, sub-criteria 7(i)-(iii) then surname order (criterion 8).Thornhill College: Selection metric (2026)Checked 9 Oct 2026 against Thornhill College.The source says: The outcomes/results of the SEAG (Schools’ Entrance Assessment Group) Assessment will be ranked as follows: BAND 1, BAND 2, BAND 3, BAND 4, BAND 5 and BAND 6.View the official source Inside the band, the order was: a child of the family at the college; then the eldest child; then a child looked after; then the surname draw.

Do sisters and other family members count? Yes, if they are at the college. The 2026 definition: A child of the family (DENI Circular 2025/12 definition: includes step-, half-, adopted, fostered children and e.g. an orphaned cousin brought up with the family) currently enrolled at the College or who will be in the coming year, at the date of application.Thornhill College: Sibling criterion (2026)Checked 9 Oct 2026 against Thornhill College.The source says: (i) Applicants who, at the date of application, have a child of the family* currently enrolled at the College or who will be in the coming year.View the official source

What counts as the eldest child? More than you might expect. Eldest child of the family eligible to apply (DENI Circular 2025/12): covers only children, twins/multiples as joint eldest, eldest girl in a single-sex school, and cases such as a child more than 7 years younger than the next sibling, a family that has moved, or an older sibling in a special school. Birth certificate and a verifying letter required.Thornhill College: Eldest child criterion (2026)Checked 9 Oct 2026 against Thornhill College.The source says: (ii) Applicants who, at the date of their application, are the eldest child of the family to be eligible** to apply for admission to the College.View the official source

Are there feeder primary schools? No. The 2026 criteria did not give priority to any named primary school.

What settles the last place? Surname letters drawn in a random order, then forenames and date of birth. After that: After surname/forename/date-of-birth ordering, any remaining tie for a final place is settled by random computerised selection.Thornhill College: Final tie break (2026)Checked 9 Oct 2026 against Thornhill College.The source says: If, after this process, any applicants still tie for a final place, the place(s) will be allocated by random computerised selection.View the official source

Does it matter where Thornhill is on our list? No. Thornhill did not use the order of preferences, and it took girls living in Northern Ireland before other applicants.

What if illness affected the test? Make a special circumstances claim. In 2026: Claim on Form SC1 with independent verified evidence, submitted with the Post-Primary Transfer Application before 12.00 noon on Thursday 19 February 2026; late claims not considered unless deemed exceptional. Accepted claims are placed in the band they are judged comparable to. Guidance for parents is reproduced in the criteria document (pages 8-11).Thornhill College: Special circumstances (2026)Checked 9 Oct 2026 against Thornhill College.The source says: On completion, Claim for Special Circumstances (Form SC1), together with the appropriate independent verified evidence which corroborates the Special Circumstances, must be submitted with the Post-Primary Transfer Application before the application process closes at 12.00 noon on Thursday 19 February 2026 time being of the essence.View the official source

What if my daughter has no SEAG band? Girls are advised to sit the SEAG assessment. Those who sat only one paper (estimated outcome), could not sit it for a documented serious medical or valid reason, or are transferring from outside NI / had more than half their education outside NI may claim Special Provisions (Form SP with the Transfer Application); if accepted they are placed in the band they are judged comparable to. Other applicants without a band fall under criterion 9 (considered after criteria 1-8).Thornhill College: Applicants without result (2026)Checked 9 Oct 2026 against Thornhill College.The source says: A pupil who only takes one paper (i.e., either Paper 1 or Paper 2 but not both) will not have completed the full Entrance Assessment. [...] Parents of pupils in this situation can make an application to the school under Special Provisions. [...] 9 Applicants other than those satisfying any one of criteria 1 – 8 above.View the official source

What about a child with a statement of special educational needs? Applicants with a statement of SEN are handled by the EA separately and are supernumerary.Thornhill College: Statement pupilsChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Thornhill College.The source says: APPLICANTS WHO HAVE A STATEMENT OF SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS WILL HAVE THEIR APPLICATIONS DEALT WITH BY THE EA UNDER SEPARATE ARRANGEMENTS AND ARE SUPERNUMERARY TO THE COLLEGE’S ADMISSIONS AND ENROLMENT NUMBERS.View the official source

Is a late application looked at? For 2026 entry it was: Applications after 12 noon on 19 February 2026 and up to 4.00pm on 24 February 2026 are marked late, but punctual and late applications are treated equally.Thornhill College: Late applicationsChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Thornhill College.The source says: APPLICATIONS RECEIVED AFTER 12 NOON ON 19 FEBRUARY 2026 AND UP TO 4.00PM ON 24 FEBRUARY 2026 WILL BE MARKED AS LATE APPLICATIONS. ALL APPLICATIONS WHETHER PUNCTUAL OR LATE WILL BE TREATED EQUALLY AND THE ADMISSIONS CRITERIA AS SET OUT ABOVE WILL BE APPLIED.View the official source Do not rely on this for 2027; check the new criteria.

Is there a waiting list? A waiting list is kept; for vacancies after 9 May 2026 all Year 8 applications (refused, new, or with new information) are reconsidered under the criteria.Thornhill College: Waiting listChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Thornhill College.The source says: A WAITING LIST OF PUPILS WILL BE KEPT. SHOULD A VACANCY ARISE AFTER 9 MAY 2026 ALL APPLICATIONS FOR ADMISSION TO YEAR 8, INCLUDING APPLICATIONS THAT WERE INITIALLY REFUSED, NEW APPLICATIONS AND APPLICATIONS WHERE NEW INFORMATION HAS BEEN PROVIDED WILL BE CONSIDERED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE SCHOOL’S ADMISSIONS CRITERIA TO FILL THE AVAILABLE PLACE(S).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

Thornhill belongs to SEAG and, for September 2027 entry, relies on the SEAG Entrance AssessmentThornhill College: Test family by entry year (2027)Checked 9 Oct 2026 against SEAG (Schools' Entrance Assessment Group).The source says: All 63 post-primary schools in N. Ireland which include academic selection within their Year 8 admissions criteria accept the SEAG Entrance Assessment Outcomes.View the official source. Your daughter can take it in English or in Irish. In 2025 Thornhill was among the centres SEAG used for the Irish-medium version: 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.

Each girl's Statement of Outcomes shows a score and a band. At Thornhill the band is what counts. A girl near the top of Band 2 is ranked with the rest of Band 2, not ahead of anyone in Band 1. SEAG's bands are fixed slices of the age group: 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.

Our SEAG transfer test guide walks through the papers, and results explained goes through bands in more depth.

How the Northern Ireland test works

Open days

All this year's events have passed

  1. Done: Open Day 2026 (passed)

    10.00am – 1.00pm; Principal's Address 10.00am and 12.30pm

Source: Thornhill College, 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.

A refusal from Thornhill sends your daughter's application on to the next school you listed. Separately, you can lodge an appeal with the EA's independent tribunal, whose decisions are binding. The route is 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.

A tribunal can uphold an appeal only if it decides both of these: 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. Because Thornhill ranks by band and then by family links and a surname draw, an appeal would usually look at whether those steps were followed in the right order.

Last year's deadline 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; this year's 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. Keep a copy of everything you send with the transfer application, as the tribunal works only from what the college had in front of it.

Official documents and sources

5 sources, each kept as an archived copy

ExamKind is independent. We are not connected with Thornhill College, its council or any test provider, and nobody pays to appear on this page. How we check facts · Report an error on this page