Thornhill College: Derry grammar school publishes admissions criteria

Thornhill College has about 1,400 pupils and admits 200 year 8 girls every year

A Catholic grammar school which abandoned the transfer test for one year has outlined how it will select pupils for September 2021.

Thornhill College in Londonderry was one of 12 grammar schools which took a decision in 2020 not to use the test for one year.

The all-girls' school admits about 200 Year 8 girls every year.

The Post Primary Transfer Consortium (PPTC), and subsequently AQE, transfer tests were cancelled in early 2021.

As a result, grammar schools - which are attended by about 45% of post-primary pupils in Northern Ireland - are now having to draw up new criteria for how they will select pupils in 2021.

In its admissions criteria for September 2021, which has just been published, Thornhill said priority would be given to girls who select the college as their first choice school when applications open.

Thornhill's past pupils include the writer of Derry Girls, Lisa McGee, who set the hit series in a fictionalised version of the school

Parents are usually able to nominate four post-primary schools they want their children to go to through the Education Authority's admissions process.

Thornhill College will then prioritise girls who have a sister attending the school, followed by children who are the first girl in their family to transfer to a post-primary school.

After that, they will prioritise children who are eligible for free school meals.

'Random selection'

If any of the criteria are oversubscribed the school will then use a method of "random selection" for places based on the first letter of a pupil's surname.

Other grammar schools are expected to publish how they intend to select pupils for 2021 shortly.

• Eight times as many pupils at school in lockdown

• Special school says pupils to attend part-time

It is unclear whether some will still try to use some academic criteria despite the cancellation of the transfer tests.

Previously, transfer tests were used to select pupils by the majority of NI grammar schools

The Education Authority (EA) has declined to clarify whether it has offered any legal advice to controlled grammar schools on admissions criteria.

"The EA is unable to comment on any legal advice which may have been obtained by Boards of Governors regarding admissions criteria as it is subject to legal professional privilege," the authority said in a statement to BBC News NI.

All schools have to provide their admissions criteria to the EA by Friday 22 January.