School Chooser

Hillcroft School

Special · ages 3-19MixedControlled245 pupilsNewtownabbeyAntrim and Newtownabbey
School Chooser ScoreNot scoredNorthern Ireland doesn't publish inspection grades or progress figures, so we can't give its schools a score. Pupil numbers, free school meals, special needs and attendance are below.
Pupils with special needs100%NI 100%
Attendance88.7%NI 87.0%
Pupils from low-income families54%Far more than most schools
Pupils on roll245Census October 2025

Hillcroft School is a controlled school in Newtownabbey for boys and girls aged 3 to 19. It has 245 pupils. About 54 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in Northern Ireland.

3 Manse Way, Newtownabbey, BT36 5UWAll 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

Northern Ireland publishes no results for individual primary schools, so there are none to show. Enrolment, free school meals, special needs and attendance are below.

Getting a place

There is no entrance test. When more children apply than there are places, the school's published rules decide, usually brothers and sisters first, then parish or feeder links, then whoever lives closest.

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 roll245Census October 2025
Pupils entitled to free school meals54%132 pupils; NI 54%
Pupils with special educational needs100%245 with a statement; NI 100%
Catholic pupils23%as recorded in the school census; NI 39%
Boys and girls161 / 84

Attendance

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 88.7% of the time. Across similar schools in Northern Ireland it was 87.0%. Northern Ireland doesn't publish figures on pupils who miss a lot of school, or on suspensions, for individual schools.

Attendance88.7%
Northern Ireland 87.0%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Missed without permission3.8%of school time; NI 5.0%

Nearby schools

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

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Earlview Primary SchoolControlled140 m175ETI, no open dataCompare
Carnmoney Primary SchoolControlled750 m372ETI, no open dataCompare
Mossley Primary SchoolControlled940 m536ETI, no open dataCompare
Mossley Nursery SchoolControlled940 m52ETI, no open dataCompare
Integrated College, GlengormleyIntegrated980 m1,213ETI, no open dataCompare
Ballyhenry Nursery SchoolControlled0.7 miles52ETI, no open dataCompare
Ballyhenry Primary SchoolControlled0.7 miles162ETI, no open dataCompare
St Mary's-on-the-Hill Primary SchoolCatholic maintained0.7 miles356ETI, no open dataCompare

Questions parents ask

Is Hillcroft School a good school?

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

How many pupils does Hillcroft School have?

245 pupils aged 3 to 19 were on the roll in October 2025.

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

Contact and details

Address
3 Manse Way, Newtownabbey, BT36 5UW
Type of school
Controlled school (Controlled school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Special school, ages 3-19
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
None
Local authority
Antrim and Newtownabbey
Ward
Burnthill
Setting
Urban
DE reference
3316510 · LAESTAB 3316510

Where these figures come from