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What does my child's result mean for which school they can get into?
Answered by Sam Stirling, former P7 teacher · Last checked: 2 November 2026
The short answer
It depends on each school's own admissions criteria, and on who else applies that year. Some schools go by score and some by band first, so check each school's criteria. My results page shows the lowest score each school took last year, so you can see where your child's score sits.
How most schools use the score
Some schools go by score and some by band first, so check each school's criteria on the Education Authority's Search Admissions Criteria page. It moves every year with who applies, so read it as a guide, not a promise.
The lowest score each school took for September 2026, with the two years before, is on the results page, school by school.
Every school sets its own rules
Each school's Board of Governors sets its admissions criteria, and SEAG says each one decides how it uses the results. How schools use the band has a worked example.
Last checked: 2 November 2026 by Sam. The official facts on this page come from:
- Education Authority: Applying for a Post Primary Year 8 Place (2026 process, updated 18 Jun 2026) (read 28 October 2026)
- SEAG Get Answers (FAQs): how schools use outcomes (read 28 October 2026)
Next step
Check your child's result
Type the numbers from the Statement of Outcomes and see what they mean, school by school.