School Chooser

Abbey Christian Brothers Grammar

Secondary · ages 11-18Grammar932 pupilsSixth formNewryNewry, Mourne and Down
School Chooser ScoreNot scoredNorthern Ireland doesn't publish inspection grades or progress figures, so we can't give its schools a score. GCSE and A level results, attendance, pupil numbers and free school meals are below.
Five good GCSEs incl. English and maths96%NI grammar schools 94%
Pupils with special needs6%NI 8%
Attendance92.2%NI 93.4%
Pupils from low-income families9%Far fewer than most schools
Pupils on roll932Census October 2025

Abbey Christian Brothers Grammar is a grammar school in Newry for pupils aged 11 to 18. It has 932 pupils. About 9 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in Northern Ireland. In 2025, 96% of Year 12 pupils got five good GCSEs including English and maths (grammar schools in Northern Ireland: 94%).

77A Ashgrove Road, Newry, BT34 1QNAll details

Inspection

Schools in Northern Ireland are inspected by the Education and Training Inspectorate. Since 2024 its reports end with a written summary and next steps instead of a grade, and there is no published list of outcomes.

Results

GCSE results, summer 2025

125 Year 12 pupils. We compare them with grammar schools across Northern Ireland, because grammar schools pick pupils by ability, so setting them against other schools wouldn't be fair.

Five good GCSEs including English and maths96%
Northern Ireland 94%
Official name: 5+ GCSEs at A* to C including GCSE English and maths
Five good GCSEs97%
Northern Ireland 97%
Official name: 5+ GCSEs at grades A* to C (or equivalent)
Entered for five or more GCSEs100%
Northern Ireland 100%
Official name: Entered for 5+ GCSEs (or equivalent)
Trend
Five good GCSEs including English and maths
2017 to 2025
2017: 95%95%20172018: 96%96%20182019: 99%99%20192023: 98%98%20232024: 95%95%20242025: 96%96%2025
Since 2017: +2%

A level results, summer 2025

109 pupils in the final year of A level or equivalent courses.

Three good A levels74%
Northern Ireland 79%
Official name: 3+ A levels at grades A* to C (or equivalent)
Two A levels passed98%
Northern Ireland 100%
Official name: 2+ A levels at grades A* to E (or equivalent)
All measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017NI grammar
Year 12 pupils125134125126132128
Entered for five or more GCSEsEntered for 5+ GCSEs (or equivalent)100%100%100%100%
Five good GCSEs5+ GCSEs at grades A* to C (or equivalent)97%96%98%100%99%98%97%
Five good GCSEs including English and maths5+ GCSEs at A* to C including GCSE English and maths96%95%98%99%96%95%94%
Year 14 pupils109111108100
Three good A levels3+ A levels at grades A* to C (or equivalent)74%72%82%84%77%78%79%
Two A levels passed2+ A levels at grades A* to E (or equivalent)98%99%99%100%99%100%100%

No results were published for 2020, 2021 and 2022. Figures include equivalent qualifications; a value is withheld when fewer than five pupils are involved.

Getting a place

Grammar school. Most places depend on the SEAG transfer test, which children sit in Primary 7 in the autumn. After that the school's own admissions rules apply.

Apply through the Education Authority's online admissions system in January.

Who goes here

Who the school teaches, from the latest school census.

Pupils on roll932Census October 2025
Pupils entitled to free school meals9%85 pupils; NI 11%
Pupils with special educational needs6%33 with a statement; NI 8%
Catholic pupils95%as recorded in the school census; NI 49%

Attendance

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 92.2% of the time. Across similar schools in Northern Ireland it was 93.4%. Northern Ireland doesn't publish figures on pupils who miss a lot of school, or on suspensions, for individual schools.

Attendance92.2%
Northern Ireland 93.4%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Missed without permission1.4%of school time; NI 2.2%

Nearby schools

The closest secondary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Newry High SchoolControlled0 m434ETI, no open dataCompare
Sacred Heart Grammar SchoolGrammar480 m873ETI, no open dataCompare
St Colman's College - NewryGrammar570 m905ETI, no open dataCompare
St Joseph's Boys' High SchoolCatholic maintained750 m405ETI, no open dataCompare
Our Lady's Grammar SchoolGrammar0.7 miles923ETI, no open dataCompare
St Mary's High SchoolCatholic maintained1.6 miles578ETI, no open dataCompare
St Paul's High SchoolCatholic maintained2.4 miles1,805ETI, no open dataCompare

Questions parents ask

Is Abbey Christian Brothers Grammar a good school?

We don't have enough published data to score Abbey Christian Brothers Grammar yet. Northern Ireland doesn't publish inspection grades.

How good are Abbey Christian Brothers Grammar's GCSE results?

In summer 2025, 96% of Year 12 pupils got five or more GCSEs at grades A* to C including English and maths, against 94% across grammar schools in Northern Ireland. 74% of Year 14 pupils got three A levels at A* to C.

How many pupils does Abbey Christian Brothers Grammar have?

932 pupils aged 11 to 18 were on the roll in October 2025.

Does Abbey Christian Brothers Grammar have an entrance exam?

Yes. It is a grammar school, so places depend on an entrance test, usually sat in September of Year 6. Check the school's admissions page for the test dates and the pass mark.

Does Abbey Christian Brothers Grammar have a sixth form?

Yes.

These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.

Contact and details

Address
77A Ashgrove Road, Newry, BT34 1QN
Type of school
Grammar school (Grammar school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Secondary school, ages 11-18, with sixth form
Religious character
None
Local authority
Newry, Mourne and Down
Ward
Damolly
Setting
Urban
DE reference
5420059 · LAESTAB 5420059

Where these figures come from