Sunday Times reveals the top secondary schools in Northern Ireland in annual Parent Power Guide
Northern Ireland’s leading secondary schools have been revealed in The Sunday Times Parent Power Guide 2026.
Widely acknowledged as the most authoritative survey of the UK’s top schools, the annual guide is now available online here and in print this Sunday (December 7).
The 33rd edition includes a fully searchable national database of more than 2,000 schools by name, local authority, town and postcode.
Strathearn School, Belfast, has been ranked as the leading secondary school in the province and is ranked 31st in the UK.
Also in Belfast, Rathmore Grammar School is in second place in the new list and 35th overall in the UK.
The top 10 secondary schools in Northern Ireland according to the latest Parent Power Guide are as follows:
- 1 Strathearn School, Belfast
- 2 Rathmore Grammar School, Belfast
- 3 St Dominic’s Grammar School for Girls, Belfast
- 4 Friends’ School Lisburn, Lisburn
- 5 Our Lady and St Patrick’s College, Knock, Belfast
- 6 Lumen Christi College, Derry/Londonderry
- 7 Sullivan Upper School, Holywood
- 8 Banbridge Academy, Banbridge
- 9 St Louis Grammar School, Ballymena
- 10 Aquinas Diocesan Grammar School, Belfast
Helen Davies, editor of The Sunday Times Parent Power Guide, said: “The educational landscape is testing – budget challenges, rising student mental health issues, special educational needs and an increasingly uncertain future. But there is also so much to celebrate from the dedication of teachers who are finding ever more innovative and impactful ways to enrich their students and give them the very best start in life.
“As well as celebrating the academic excellence of the top schools it is uplifting to see how they are shaping their students to be ready for the 21st century, and instilling a lifelong love of learning.”