School Chooser

St Malachy's College

Secondary · ages 11-18Grammar1,220 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 maths98%NI grammar schools 94%
Pupils with special needs10%NI 8%
Attendance94.3%NI 93.4%
Pupils from low-income families20%A bit fewer than most schools
Pupils on roll1,220Census October 2025

St Malachy's College is a grammar school in Belfast for pupils aged 11 to 18. It has 1,220 pupils. About 20 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, a bit fewer than at most schools. In 2025, 98% of Year 12 pupils got five good GCSEs including English and maths (grammar schools in Northern Ireland: 94%).

36 Antrim Road, Belfast, BT15 2AEAll 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

178 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 maths98%
Northern Ireland 94%
Official name: 5+ GCSEs at A* to C including GCSE English and maths
Five good GCSEs98%
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: 99%99%20172018: 98%98%20182019: 97%97%20192023: 99%99%20232024: 96%96%20242025: 98%98%2025
Since 2017: -2%

A level results, summer 2025

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

Three good A levels86%
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 pupils178173155167164155
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)98%97%99%98%98%100%97%
Five good GCSEs including English and maths5+ GCSEs at A* to C including GCSE English and maths98%96%99%97%98%99%94%
Year 14 pupils115109111102
Three good A levels3+ A levels at grades A* to C (or equivalent)86%72%88%76%82%78%79%
Two A levels passed2+ A levels at grades A* to E (or equivalent)100%99%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 roll1,220Census October 2025
Pupils entitled to free school meals20%242 pupils; NI 11%
Pupils with special educational needs10%51 with a statement; NI 8%
Newcomer pupils1%arrived with little English; NI 1%
Catholic pupils94%as recorded in the school census; NI 49%

Attendance

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 94.3% 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.

Attendance94.3%
Northern Ireland 93.4%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Missed without permission0.3%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
Belfast Royal AcademyGrammar640 m1,454ETI, no open dataCompare
The Royal Belfast Academical InstitutionGrammar0.8 miles1,073ETI, no open dataCompare
Belfast Model School for GirlsControlled1.2 miles1,056ETI, no open dataCompare
St Dominic's High SchoolGrammar1.2 miles1,062ETI, no open dataCompare
Dominican College, FortwilliamGrammar1.4 miles1,060ETI, no open dataCompare
Blessed Trinity CollegeCatholic maintained1.5 miles1,344ETI, no open dataCompare
Colaiste FeirsteMaintained1.6 miles1,009ETI, no open dataCompare
Mercy CollegeCatholic maintained1.7 miles833ETI, no open dataCompare

Questions parents ask

Is St Malachy's College a good school?

We don't have enough published data to score St Malachy's College yet. Northern Ireland doesn't publish inspection grades.

How good are St Malachy's College's GCSE results?

In summer 2025, 98% 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. 86% of Year 14 pupils got three A levels at A* to C.

How many pupils does St Malachy's College have?

1,220 pupils aged 11 to 18 were on the roll in October 2025.

Does St Malachy's College 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 St Malachy's College 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
36 Antrim Road, Belfast, BT15 2AE
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
Water Works
Setting
Urban
DE reference
1420030 · LAESTAB 1420030

Where these figures come from