Admissions | Sullivan Upper

Admissions

Admission to Year 8

Transfer Procedure/SEAG Transfer to 2026/27 school year

(for pupils starting P7 in September 2025)

Sullivan Upper School uses the Schools Entrance Assessment Group (SEAG). SEAG is open to all post-primary schools in Northern Ireland which use academic selection for all or part of their Year 8 intake. SEAG includes Controlled and Voluntary Grammar Schools and Integrated Schools in its membership.

Test Centre

Sullivan Upper School will be a test centre and children are accommodated in the main school halls. A familiarisation day is held prior to the actual assessments so that children can experience and become familiar with their surroundings and can meet the supervising staff.

Familiarisation Session - Thursday 16 October 2025

We are looking forward to welcoming the children taking their tests at Sullivan Upper to a Familiarisation evening - Letters will be issued week beginning 6 October 2025. Children should arrive at 4.15 pm for a 4.30 pm start.

Letter regarding SEAG Familiarisation Evening on Thursday 16 October 2025

FAQs for Parents whose children will sit the SEAG Entrance Assessment

SEAG Expectations of Parents and Pupils 2025 including What If Scenarios 2025

Test Days

On both test days children should arrive between 9.15 am and 9.40 am bringing with them their SEAG issued Identification card and coloured venue letter which will be issued by the school prior to Familiarisation. Children should wear their primary school uniform.

Entrance Assessment Paper 1: Saturday 15 November 2025
Entrance Assessment Paper 2: Saturday 22 November 2025
SEAG Outcomes released: Saturday 24 January 2026

Arrangements for SEAG Test days 2025

Please visit www.seagni.co.uk for further information on the process.

Year 8 Transfer Procedure/AQE

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Year 8 Admissions Criteria 2026/27

Admissions Criteria for 2026/27 for Entry into Year 8

Claiming Special Circumstances - A guide for Parents can be downloaded HERE

Special Circumstances Form (SC Form) can be downloaded HERE (Editable version)

Claiming Special Provisions - A guide for Parents can be downloaded HERE

Special Provisions Form (SP Form) can be downloaded HERE (Editable version)

Please Note: if an estimated score has been awarded by SEAG in the SEAG Entrance Assessment (where only one assessment was taken because of illness, self-isolation or other unforeseen circumstances) the Special Provisions form above (SP Form) should be completed and uploaded to the online Transfer application.

For further information about the procedure for Year 8 transfer application process from primary school to post-primary school for the academic year 2026/27, please visit the Admissions section of the Education Authority's website: https://www.eani.org.uk/parents/admissions.

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Post Primary Open Night Slide - Key Dates 2026.jpg

Sullivan Upper School: Oversubscription Statement (May 2026)

School: Sullivan Upper School

Total Number of places available: 150

Total number of applications considered: 189

Year 8 Post-Primary Applications

Sullivan Upper School received a total of 189 applications via the EA Connect online portal, of which 180 were first choice preferences. There were 150 places available.

The Board of Governors applied the published admissions criteria and the first 120 applications were selected under the criterion Rank Order of the SEAG score. The 120th place fell on a SEAG score of 217. This left 30 places to be filled from the ‘pool’. The 165th place fell on a SEAG score of 201 and there were a total of 45 applications in the ‘pool’.

The admissions criteria were applied to the ‘pool’. All applicants in the pool who met criteria 3.1 (Free School Meals) or 3.2 (Prep) or 3.3 (Sibling) or 3.4 (3-Feeder Primary Schools) were selected (26 in total).

Four places remained at this point, applicants had to meet criterion 3.5 (13-Feeder Primary Schools) to be considered for a place, 14 applicants met Criterion 3.5 and one applicant also met criterion 3.6 (BT18) and was, therefore, selected.

Three places now remained and the tie-breaker criterion 3.7.1 (SEAG score) was considered. One applicant with the highest SEAG score was selected under 3.7.1 (SEAG TSAS).

This now left two places available. Three applicants had the same SEAG score so the next criterion was considered ie 3.7.2 (Distance). The two applicants with the closest distance to school were selected under criterion 3.7.2. A total of 150 applications were selected ie 120 by rank order and 30 from the ‘pool’.