About the school
Abbey Christian Brothers Grammar School, also known locally as the “Abbey” or “Abbey CBS,” is a voluntary grammar school for boys aged 11–18, located on the outskirts of Newry, County Down, Northern Ireland. The school has built a strong reputation for academic achievement, pastoral care, and a wide range of sporting and extracurricular opportunities.
Abbey Christian Brothers Grammar School was established in 1851 by members of the Congregation of Christian Brothers and takes its name from a Cistercian Abbey founded on the same site by St Malachy in 1144. Over its long history, the school has occupied several sites around Newry, including Chapel Street, Kilmorey Street, and Courtenay Hill, before moving in 2010 into a new, purpose-built £18 million campus on the Belfast Road on the outskirts of the city.
With an enrolment of close to 1,000 boys, Abbey Christian Brothers Grammar School offers a broad curriculum spanning science, mathematics, languages, humanities, and the arts, alongside well-established Gaelic football, hurling, and rugby programmes. The school is part of the SEAG group and uses the SEAG Single Entrance Transfer Test results as part of its intake criteria into Year 8.
School type
Voluntary Grammar (Boys)
Exam date
Saturday, November 14 and Saturday, November 21
Exam board
SEAG (GL Assessment)
Address
77a Ashgrove Road, Newry, Co. Down, BT34 1QN
Age range
11–18 (Years 8–14)
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Admissions information
The Abbey Christian Brothers Grammar School entrance test is administered through the SEAG (Secondary Entrance Assessment Group) system. Here is everything you need to know about the admissions process and exam structure.
The SEAG Group consists of 63 grammar schools in Northern Ireland that use academic selection for all or part of their Year 8 intake. Abbey Christian Brothers Grammar School is an SEAG school and uses SEAG Transfer Test results to determine who is offered a place. The test covers English and Maths in a multiple-choice format.
The SEAG Transfer Test consists of two papers, English and Mathematics. The Maths paper contains 45 questions and lasts 45 minutes. The English paper covers punctuation, comprehension and grammar in a multiple-choice format. Both papers are sat during the autumn term of Primary 7.
The application process is online and is accessible via the SEAG website. Registration opens Monday, 18th May 2026 and closes Friday, 18th September 2026. Children born between 2nd July 2015 and 1st July 2016, transferring to Year 8 in September 2027, are eligible to take the 2026 Entrance Assessment. For September 2027 Year 8 admissions, Abbey Christian Brothers Grammar School will consider applications from boys who have taken the SEAG Entrance Assessments anywhere in Northern Ireland.
Results will be issued on Saturday, 24th January 2026 and can be accessed via the SEAG website. Families then submit school preference forms to the Education Authority. Final offers are confirmed on the post-primary offer day. Abbey Christian Brothers Grammar School admits boys based on the band achieved in the SEAG Assessment and the published admissions sub-criteria, which include having a brother who attends or has attended the Abbey, having a father who attended the Abbey, and being the first son in the family to transfer to a grammar school.
Key admissions details
Abbey Christian Brothers Grammar School has an approved admissions number of 125 for Year 8 entry, with five non-streamed form groups created to ease the transition from primary to post-primary.
Abbey Christian Brothers Grammar School does not operate a strict geographic catchment boundary. Boys are admitted from Newry itself and from a wide surrounding area, and the school will consider applications from any boy who has sat the SEAG Entrance Assessment anywhere in Northern Ireland. Where the school is oversubscribed, places are allocated using the published admissions criteria.
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Abbey Christian Brothers Grammar School was established in 1851 by the Congregation of Christian Brothers and takes its name from a Cistercian Abbey founded on the same site in 1144. It has since grown into one of Northern Ireland's leading grammar schools, with an enrolment of close to 1,000 boys across Years 8 to 14, including a thriving Sixth Form.
Abbey Christian Brothers Grammar School has an approved admissions number of 125 places for Year 8 each year. Demand for places is high, making thorough SEAG preparation essential.
Abbey Christian Brothers Grammar School uses the SEAG Transfer Test for Year 8 entry. The test consists of English and Maths papers, sat during the autumn term of Primary 7. The Maths paper has 45 questions over 45 minutes; the English paper covers comprehension, grammar and punctuation in multiple-choice format.
No. Abbey Christian Brothers Grammar School considers applications from boys who have taken the SEAG Entrance Assessments anywhere in Northern Ireland. There is no strict catchment boundary, although priority sub-criteria such as having a brother or father who attended the school can affect outcomes if the school is oversubscribed.
Registration for the SEAG Transfer Test opens Monday 18th May 2026 and closes Friday 18th September 2026. Registration is completed online through the SEAG website, and is for pupils transferring to Year 8 in September 2027.
Yes. Abbey Christian Brothers Grammar School has a strong sporting tradition, particularly in Gaelic football, hurling and rugby, and has won the MacRory Cup on multiple occasions. The school also offers a wide range of clubs and societies covering music, debating and other extracurricular interests.
Yes, all our tuition is available both in-person at our Edgbaston, Birmingham centre and online via live video sessions. Online tuition gives families across Newry, County Down and the wider Northern Ireland access to our expert tutors without the need to travel. The quality and personalisation of sessions is identical in both formats.
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