School Chooser

Aquinas Grammar School

Secondary · ages 11-18Grammar995 pupilsSixth formBelfast
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 maths99%NI grammar schools 94%
Pupils with special needs9%NI 8%
Attendance94.9%NI 93.4%
Pupils from low-income families6%Far fewer than most schools
Pupils on roll995Census October 2025

Aquinas Grammar School is a grammar school in Belfast for pupils aged 11 to 18. It has 995 pupils. About 6 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in Northern Ireland. In 2025, 99% of Year 12 pupils got five good GCSEs including English and maths (grammar schools in Northern Ireland: 94%).

518 Ravenhill Road, Belfast, BT6 0BYAll 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

130 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 maths99%
Northern Ireland 94%
Official name: 5+ GCSEs at A* to C including GCSE English and maths
Five good GCSEs99%
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: 100%100%20172018: 99%99%20182019: 100%100%20192023: 100%100%20232024: 100%100%20242025: 99%99%2025
Since 2017: -1%

A level results, summer 2025

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

Three good A levels89%
Northern Ireland 79%
Official name: 3+ A levels at grades A* to C (or equivalent)
Two A levels passed100%
Northern Ireland 100%
Official name: 2+ A levels at grades A* to E (or equivalent)
All measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017NI grammar
Year 12 pupils130134111111116112
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)99%100%100%100%99%100%97%
Five good GCSEs including English and maths5+ GCSEs at A* to C including GCSE English and maths99%100%100%100%99%100%94%
Year 14 pupils101114105108
Three good A levels3+ A levels at grades A* to C (or equivalent)89%92%86%84%88%85%79%
Two A levels passed2+ A levels at grades A* to E (or equivalent)100%100%100%100%100%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 roll995Census October 2025
Pupils entitled to free school meals6%57 pupils; NI 11%
Pupils with special educational needs9%58 with a statement; NI 8%
Catholic pupils84%as recorded in the school census; NI 49%

Attendance

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 94.9% 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.

Attendance94.9%
Northern Ireland 93.4%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Missed without permission0.5%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
St Joseph's CollegeCatholic maintained0 m898ETI, no open dataCompare
Wellington CollegeGrammar710 m794ETI, no open dataCompare
Grosvenor Grammar SchoolGrammar1.2 miles1,208ETI, no open dataCompare
Methodist CollegeGrammar1.3 miles1,855ETI, no open dataCompare
Lagan College, BelfastIntegrated1.4 miles1,472ETI, no open dataCompare
Breda AcademyControlled1.5 miles849ETI, no open dataCompare
Victoria CollegeGrammar1.7 miles948ETI, no open dataCompare
The Royal Belfast Academical InstitutionGrammar1.9 miles1,073ETI, no open dataCompare

Questions parents ask

Is Aquinas Grammar School a good school?

We don't have enough published data to score Aquinas Grammar School yet. Northern Ireland doesn't publish inspection grades.

How good are Aquinas Grammar School's GCSE results?

In summer 2025, 99% 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. 89% of Year 14 pupils got three A levels at A* to C.

How many pupils does Aquinas Grammar School have?

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

Does Aquinas Grammar School 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 Aquinas Grammar School 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
518 Ravenhill Road, Belfast, BT6 0BY
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
Belfast
Ward
Ravenhill
Setting
Urban
DE reference
1420277 · LAESTAB 1420277

Where these figures come from