About the school
Lurgan College is a selective, non-denominational, co-educational grammar school in Lurgan, County Armagh, Northern Ireland. Set in its own wooded grounds on the outskirts of the town, it offers a predominantly academic education up to Advanced Level across a wide range of subjects.
Founded in 1873, originally as a private boarding school for boys, it became a selective co-educational grammar school in 1968. Unusually for Northern Ireland, the Craigavon area operates a two-tier system of delayed academic selection at age 14, rather than the age-11 transfer test used elsewhere.
As a result, Lurgan College admits pupils at the start of Year 11 (age 14) and Year 13, transferring from junior high, secondary and grammar schools, rather than running an age-11 entry. Families across Northern Ireland nonetheless prepare for the SEAG transfer test where they are considering grammar schools that select at age 11.
School type
Co-Ed Grammar (Selection at Age 14)
Exam date
Delayed Selection at Age 14 (Year 11 Entry)
Exam board
Craigavon Two-Tier (No Age-11 Test)
Address
College Walk, Lurgan, Co. Armagh, BT66 6JW
Age range
14–19 (Years 11–14)
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Admissions information
Lurgan College selects pupils at age 14 rather than age 11. Here is everything you need to know about the Lurgan College admissions criteria and how academic selection works in the Craigavon area and the wider Northern Ireland.
Lurgan College does not use an age-11 transfer test. The Craigavon area, where the college is located, abandoned 11-plus-type examinations and instead operates a system of delayed academic selection at age 14. Pupils first attend junior high schools and then transfer to Lurgan College at the start of Year 11, with a further entry point at Year 13.
Each of the two papers lasts 60 minutes and contains a mix of multiple-choice and free-response questions, with answers recorded on a separate answer sheet. The papers are taken on two Saturdays a week apart, and a pupil’s marks across both papers are combined into a Total Standardised Age Score (TSAS), which is age-standardised so that younger children are not disadvantaged.
Because Lurgan College selects at age 14, families do not register for an age-11 SEAG test for entry to it. For grammar schools elsewhere in Northern Ireland that select at age 11, registration for the SEAG transfer test runs through the SEAG website, typically opening in May 2026 and closing in September 2026, ahead of the assessment.
For Lurgan College, transfer at age 14 is managed through the local two-tier arrangements rather than by an age-11 SEAG score. Families considering age-11 selective grammar schools elsewhere receive SEAG results in late January, ahead of confirming their post-primary preferences through the Education Authority.
Key admissions details
Lurgan College admits pupils at the start of Year 11 and Year 13 each year under the Craigavon delayed-selection system, drawing pupils from junior high, secondary and grammar schools in the area.
Lurgan College does not operate a single fixed catchment area but draws pupils from across the Lurgan and Craigavon area and beyond. Places are allocated under the school’s published admissions criteria, which apply at the age-14 transfer point rather than at age 11.
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Lurgan College is located at College Walk, Lurgan, Co. Armagh, BT66 6JW, in its own wooded grounds on the outskirts of the town. It is a selective, non-denominational, co-educational grammar school.
Lurgan College was founded in 1873, originally as a private boarding school for boys, and became a selective co-educational grammar school in 1968. It serves pupils from age 14 to 19.
Lurgan College does not use an age-11 transfer test. The Craigavon area operates delayed academic selection at age 14, so pupils enter the college at Year 11 after attending junior high school, rather than sitting the SEAG transfer test at age 11.
No. Because of the Craigavon two-tier system, pupils transfer to Lurgan College at age 14 rather than sitting an age-11 transfer test. Strong English and maths foundations in primary school still help pupils succeed at the later transfer point.
For grammar schools that select at age 11, registration for the SEAG transfer test runs through the SEAG website, typically opening in May 2026 and closing in September 2026, with the assessment taking place in November.
Yes, Lurgan College is a selective grammar school, but it selects pupils at age 14 under the Craigavon two-tier system rather than at age 11. Pupils enter at the start of Year 11 and Year 13.
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 Northern Ireland and the wider region 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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