Northern Ireland · Grammar school
St Columb's College, Derry
Londonderry · Boys only
Official record: Schools Plus (DE reference 2420054)
Overview
- Address
- 23 Buncrana Road, Londonderry, BT48 8NH
- Status
- Open
- Admits
- Boys only
- Age range
- Not yet available
- Number of pupils
- 1,217
- Capacity
- Not yet available
- Eligible for free school meals
- 26.2%
- Sixth form
- Not yet available
- School type
- Grammar · Voluntary
- Religious character
- Not yet available
- Trust
- Not yet available
- Local authority
- Not yet available
Source: School census and Schools Plus reference data, last checked 31 October 2026 · Source: Desk research (cited public sources) (exampapersplus.co.uk), last checked 31 October 2026
Admissions and the 11+
- Admissions policy
- Selective (grammar school)
- Selection in this area
- Northern Ireland transfer testMost grammar schools in Northern Ireland admit pupils using transfer tests run outside the statutory system. Check each school's admissions criteria.
- Entrance test
- Not yet available
- Qualifying score
- Not yet available
- Catchment area
- For September 2026 entry, places go by SEAG band (Band 1 first). The college's 'traditional catchment area' is the area covered by these Catholic parishes: Derry City (Templemore), Ardmore, Banagher, Castlederg, Claudy, Dunamanagh, Dungiven, Faughanvale, Holy Family Ballymagroarty, Leckpatrick, Limavady, Magilligan, Melmount, Steelstown, Creggan, Sion Mills, Strabane, Strathfoyle, Three Patrons, Waterside and the Northern Ireland part of Doneyloop. It is only used to treat a boy as the eldest in a family that arrived in the area recently.
- Children from outside the catchment
- Yes: For September 2026 entry, boys from outside the traditional catchment area are admitted on the same SEAG band basis; the area only matters for the eldest-child tie-breaker. In 2023/24 to 2025/26 there were fewer applicants than places.
Source: School census and Schools Plus reference data, last checked 31 October 2026 · Source: Admissions research (cited public sources) (stcolumbs.com, stcolumbs.com), last checked 1 November 2026
Key dates for September 2027 (Year 8) entry
- Test registration (Northern Ireland SEAG)
- 18 May 2026 to 18 September 2026
- Test date
- 14 November 2026, 21 November 2026Paper 1 on 14 Nov, Paper 2 on 21 Nov; contingency date 28 Nov only if neither can be held. Parents register with SEAG (the 2026 registration has closed). Apply through the Education Authority portal by 12 noon on Wednesday 3 March 2027; appeals by 4pm on 20 May 2027 (nidirect).
- Results sent to families
- 23 January 2027
- Open days
- Not yet available
- School opened (current registration)
- Not yet available
Unverified: test dates come from desk research (high confidence). Confirm them with the council or test organiser. Sources: seagni.co.uk/guidance/key-dates, seagni.co.uk/latest-news/last-days-to-register-pupils-for-the-2026-seag-entrance-assessment, nidirect.gov.uk.
Guide to the Northern Ireland SEAG and its schools
Source: Test dates research (cited public sources) (seagni.co.uk), last checked 1 November 2026
Inspection (ETI)
- Last inspection
- Not yet available
- Inspection outcome
- Not yet available
Source: not yet available
Exam results
- GCSE results
- Not yet available
- A level results
- Not yet available
Source: not yet available
How to get there
- Postcode
- BT48 8NH
- Map location
- 55.02235, -7.32944Approximate: postcode centroid.
- Open in OpenStreetMap
- Directions and surroundings ↗
- Telephone
- Not yet available
Source: School census and Schools Plus reference data, last checked 31 October 2026 · Source: Postcode centroids (ONS Postcode Directory), last checked 31 October 2026
Official links and documents
- School website
- Not yet available
- Official register record
- Schools Plus (DE reference 2420054) ↗
- Admissions policy document
- Not yet available
- Further reading
- Wikipedia ↗
Source: not yet available