What Cross and Passion College does

Cross and Passion College is a Catholic, all-ability maintained secondary school located in Ballycastle, County Antrim, Northern Ireland. Founded in 1913 by the Sisters of Cross and Passion, the school serves approximately 1,200 students across Years 8 to 14, delivering the Northern Ireland curriculum at Key Stage 3, GCSE/Level 2, and A-Level/BTEC stages. It operates on a non-commercial basis: as a state-maintained school, it is funded through recurrent grants from the Northern Ireland Department of Education, charges no tuition fees, and is not subject to market-based pricing or customer acquisition.

The school's defining structural feature is its Shared Education partnership with the neighbouring Ballycastle High School, in place since the 1960s, under which more than 300 pupils share lessons daily across the two schools. This cross-sector, cross-community arrangement is one of the longest continuously running Shared Education programs in Northern Ireland and is being formalized through a £70 million Shared Education Campus project, with Heron Bros Ltd appointed as Design and Build Contractor (May 2023) and construction commencing April 2024.

The school's product surface is a standard academic curriculum (English, Mathematics, Sciences, Languages, History, Geography, Religious Education, Technology, Arts, Physical Education) supplemented by extensive extracurricular programs in hurling, camogie, music, and drama. Technology infrastructure is limited to standard educational ICT — the C2k managed service, Microsoft Office 365, Microsoft Teams, and a virtual learning environment — with no disclosed proprietary platform or AI capabilities. The school also operates a community-access 3G sports pitch funded by Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council and maintains a progression partnership with Northern Regional College for post-16 pathways.

Name

Cross and Passion College

Legal name

Cross & Passion College

Website

https://cpcballycastle.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1913

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cross and Passion College is a Catholic, all-ability maintained secondary school in Ballycastle, Northern Ireland, serving Years 8-14. Founded in 1913, it runs a Shared Education partnership with Ballycastle High School and is building a £70M shared campus.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Ballycastle

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. State-Funded Education: As a maintained Catholic secondary school in Northern Ireland, Cross and Passion College is primarily funded through government education funding. The school does not charge tuition fees for regular education provision. Additional revenue may come from ancillary services and extended facilities use.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Cross and Passion College is a Catholic, all-ability secondary school delivering state-funded education for pupils aged 11-18 across Years 8-14. It provides a three-stage curriculum (Key Stage 3, GCSE/Level 2, A-Level/Applied) combined with a cross-school shared education partnership enabling over 300 pupils to attend classes at Ballycastle High School. The school offers extensive extracurricular programs in sport, music, drama, and careers guidance, supported by ICT infrastructure including C2k, Virtual Learning Environment, and Microsoft Teams.

Product overview

Cross and Passion College is a Catholic, all-ability secondary school providing educational services from Years 8-14. The school operates a three-tier academic structure: Key Stage 3 (Years 8-10) following the Northern Ireland Revised Curriculum; GCSE/Level 2 programs (Years 11-12) offering 20+ subject choices including BTEC and vocational qualifications; and A-Level/Applied qualifications (Years 13-14) with GCE courses and BTEC programs. A distinctive Shared Education Partnership with Ballycastle High School enables cross-enrollment, benefiting over 300 pupils. Subject departments include dedicated facilities for Science (6 labs), Technology & Design (workshops), and Music, complemented by extensive extracurricular programs in sports (hurling, camogie, Gaelic football, netball), music, drama, and careers education. The school has achieved significant academic success with outcomes exceeding NI averages.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Key Stage 3 Curriculum Comprehensive curriculum for Years 8-10 following the Northern Ireland Revised Curriculum, covering English, Mathematics, Science, History, Geography, Languages, Technology, Art, Drama, Music, Home Economics, Religious Studies, Physical Education, ICT, and Learning for Life and Work.
• GCSE/Level 2 Programs Key Stage 4 curriculum for Years 11-12 offering 20+ subject choices including Agriculture BTEC, Art, Business Studies, Child Development, Construction, English Language, English Literature, French, Geography, Health and Social Care, Hospitality, ICT, Irish, Further Mathematics, Motor Vehicle, Occupational Studies, PE, Religious Education, Science (Single/Double Award), Spanish, Sport BTEC, Technology and Design, and Travel & Tourism BTEC.
• A-Level & Applied Qualifications Post-16 provision including GCE A-Levels in Biology, Chemistry, English Literature, Government & Politics, Physics, Psychology, and Technology; plus BTEC Applied qualifications in Agriculture, Applied Science, Business, Children's Care Learning and Development, Construction, Creative Media, Health & Social Care, ICT, Leisure, and Sport.
• Shared Education Partnership Collaborative arrangement with Ballycastle High School enabling pupils in Years 11-14 to share lessons and access a broader curriculum. Over 300 pupils participate in shared classes daily, with subjects offered from a wider range of specialisms.
• Sports & Athletic Programs Extensive sporting extracurricular including hurling, camogie, Gaelic football, soccer, netball, athletics, badminton, tennis, basketball, gymnastics, swimming, cross country, trampolining, skiing, and golf. School has won multiple Ulster and All-Ireland hurling titles (2009, 2010, 2015).
• Music & Performing Arts Senior Choir, Junior Choir, Guitar Club, Irish Traditional Group, Rock Bands, Drama productions, and school musical. Individual tuition available for guitar, drums, piano, singing, strings, woodwind, brass. Previous productions include Sister Act, Wizard of Oz, Grease, Little Shop of Horrors.
• Careers Education (CEIAG) Comprehensive careers education program from Years 10-14 including individual careers guidance, work experience placements, UCAS/CAO application support, employer engagement, and access to DEL Careers Adviser.

Quantifiable outcome

• Academic attainment significantly above NI average for similar non-selective schools and above grammar school averages
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Educational Institutions from South KoreaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024International visitors from South Korea engaged with Cross and Passion College and Ballycastle High School as part of educational exchange. School hosts regular international visitors keen to learn about successful educational collaboration.
• Heron Bros LtdcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2023Heron Bros Ltd appointed as Design and Build Contractor for the new £70 million Shared Education Campus project. The contractor began final design work in March 2023 with construction commencing April 2024. Project programmed for 40 months with phased delivery.
• Ballycastle High SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1960Long-standing shared education partnership dating back to the 1960s. Both schools work collaboratively to offer a broader curriculum for Years 11-14 pupils, with over 300 pupils sharing lessons daily. The partnership enables both schools to offer subjects from a wider range of specialisms and fosters community cohesion. Currently developing a new Shared Education Campus together with £70 million investment.
• Northern Regional CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLearning community partner providing curriculum extension opportunities and progression pathways for post-16 students. Students can progress to further and higher education courses at NRC.
• Causeway Coast and Glens Borough CouncilminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCouncil is working with the Department of Education providing additional investment for top quality sports facilities in the new shared campus which will be available for community use.
• Local Sports Clubs and Hurling/Camogie AssociationsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with local GAA clubs and associations for school team coaching, player development, and talent identification. School draws pupils from all hurling clubs in North Antrim and has strong club connections.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Loreto College Coleraine: Catholic grammar school in Coleraine (relatively near CPC's North Antrim catchment) offering the same broad GCSE/A-Level/BTEC mix and shared Catholic ethos.
• St Mary's Grammar School: Catholic maintained grammar school in Magherafelt offering secondary and post-16 education with shared ethos (Catholic, NI grammar sector) and comparable GCSE/A-Level provision.
• Ballycastle High School: Direct shared-education partner located in the same town; the two schools have collaborated since the 1960s, with 300+ pupils sharing lessons daily and are jointly building the new £70m Shared Education Campus.
• Rathmore Grammar School: Catholic grammar school in Belfast providing KS3-KS5 education with a similar all-ability ethos and comparable post-16 progression pathway.
• Abbey Christian Brothers Grammar School: Catholic grammar school in Newry offering KS3-KS5 education under a religious order's foundation, comparable in faith-based governance and curricular breadth.
• St Malachy's College: Catholic grammar school for boys in Belfast, comparable in faith-based mission, curricular structure, and university-progression orientation.
• Loreto Grammar School, Omagh: Catholic grammar school in Omagh providing secondary and sixth-form education with comparable post-16 destinations and ethos.
• Mount Lourdes Grammar School: Catholic maintained grammar school in Enniskillen delivering the same NI grammar curriculum structure and serving as a direct comparator for all-ability Catholic education with strong university progression.
• St Columb's College: Catholic grammar school in Derry/Londonderry, comparable in faith-based ethos and full secondary-through-sixth-form provision.

Broad incumbents

• Dalriada School: Independent (non-Catholic) school in Ballymena, geographically close and competing for the same North Antrim secondary cohort; broader than CPC as an all-through independent with boarding options.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cross-and-passion-college

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles21 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cross and Passion College