Down High School
Down High School is a grammar school in Downpatrick for pupils aged 11 to 18. It has 961 pupils. About 5 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in Northern Ireland. In 2025, 100% of Year 12 pupils got five good GCSEs including English and maths (grammar schools in Northern Ireland: 94%).
28 Strangford Road, Downpatrick, BT30 6SLAll 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
127 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.
A level results, summer 2025
128 pupils in the final year of A level or equivalent courses.
All measures, year by year
| Measure | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | NI grammar |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year 12 pupils | 127 | 138 | 133 | 125 | 124 | 123 | – |
| 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) | 100% | 100% | 98% | 100% | 97% | 100% | 97% |
| Five good GCSEs including English and maths5+ GCSEs at A* to C including GCSE English and maths | 100% | 100% | 98% | 99% | 94% | 100% | 94% |
| Year 14 pupils | 128 | 133 | 144 | 129 | – | – | – |
| Three good A levels3+ A levels at grades A* to C (or equivalent) | 90% | 82% | 90% | 77% | 79% | 76% | 79% |
| Two A levels passed2+ A levels at grades A* to E (or equivalent) | 100% | 100% | 100% | 98% | 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.
Attendance
In 2024/25 pupils were in school 96.0% 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.
Nearby schools
The closest secondary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.
| School | Type | Distance | Pupils | Ofsted | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blackwater Integrated College | Integrated | 370 m | 286 | ETI, no open data | – | Compare |
| Lecale Trinity Grammar School | Grammar | 770 m | 1,484 | ETI, no open data | – | Compare |
| St Colmcille's High School | Catholic maintained | 4.4 miles | 348 | ETI, no open data | – | Compare |
Questions parents ask
Is Down High School a good school?
We don't have enough published data to score Down High School yet. Northern Ireland doesn't publish inspection grades.
How good are Down High School's GCSE results?
In summer 2025, 100% 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. 90% of Year 14 pupils got three A levels at A* to C.
How many pupils does Down High School have?
961 pupils aged 11 to 18 were on the roll in October 2025.
Does Down High 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 Down High 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
- 28 Strangford Road, Downpatrick, BT30 6SL
- 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
- Quoile
- Setting
- Rural
- DE reference
- 4410085 · LAESTAB 4410085
Where these figures come from
- School details, enrolment, free school meals, special needs and newcomers: Department of Education (Northern Ireland) school-level enrolment data, October census (this page rebuilt 13 September 2026).
- Attendance: Department of Education school-level attendance tables.
- Results: Department of Education, Year 12 and Year 14 examination performance at post-primary schools (SAER), via OpenDataNI.
- All under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Full list and update calendar.