What Friends' School Lisburn does

Friends' School Lisburn is a private Quaker educational institution operating as the only Quaker school in Northern Ireland, founded in 1774 by the Religious Society of Friends on land purchased via a £1,000 bequest from linen merchant John Hancock. The institution provides co-educational secondary education (Years 8-14) along with a separate Preparatory Department, serving over 1,000 pupils from Lisburn and the surrounding Northern Ireland community. Academic outcomes are strong, with 90% of GCSE grades at A*-B (78% at A*/A) and 52 pupils achieving 3+ A grades at A-Level.

The school operates from a single campus at 6 Magheralave Rd, Lisburn BT28 3BH, comprising a blend of heritage buildings (Middle House, c. 1880, refurbished 2015) and modern facilities including the East Suite (2016) housing recording studio, rehearsal space and practice rooms for Music and Maths, a multi-purpose sports hall (2000), two sand-dressed floodlit hockey pitches (2013), the 1774 Pavilion outdoor performance space, and the 1500m Legacy Trail. Technology infrastructure consists of standard educational tooling: ParentPay cashless payment system, Tooled Up Education third-party parenting resource platform (curated by Dr Kathy Weston), and an ICON Creative-maintained website. The school also generates ancillary revenue by leasing its hockey pitches to South Antrim Hockey Club.

Revenue is generated through recurring tuition fees (undisclosed) and ancillary services (catering, trips, facility leasing), supplemented by donations channeled through the separate Friends for Life foundation. Governance is structured through a Board of Governors with appointees from both the Department of Education (Northern Ireland) and the Ulster Quarterly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends, plus elected Parent and Teacher Governors. The school operates under DE regulatory oversight and follows Northern Ireland curriculum and safeguarding policies. Distribution is direct enrollment via open mornings, prospectus (2026 digital edition), and community outreach rooted in its Quaker heritage.

Name

Friends' School Lisburn

Legal name

Friends' School Lisburn

Website

https://friendsschoollisburn.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1774

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Friends' School Lisburn is a private Quaker co-educational secondary school in Northern Ireland, founded 1774, serving 1,000+ pupils from Years 8-14 across Lisburn and the surrounding region, with Preparatory and Secondary departments on a single Lisburn campus.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Independent Secondary Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Faith-Based (Religious) K–12 Schools (EDAJABAC)

Keywords

• Secondary education services
• Quaker school education
• GCSE A-Level programmes
• Values-based education
• Preparatory school education

Headquarters

HQ city

Lisburn

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, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Educational Services: Friends' School Lisburn operates as a Quaker secondary school providing education services to students from Years 8-14. The school generates revenue through tuition and related educational services for the local Lisburn community and beyond.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Friends' School Lisburn is the only Quaker school in Northern Ireland, providing coeducational secondary education from Years 8-14 with GCSE and A-Level preparation, alongside a separate Preparatory Department. The school delivers a values-based education grounded in 250 years of Quaker heritage, supported by extensive extra-curricular programmes including Duke of Edinburgh, Young Enterprise, music, robotics, debating, and sports.

Product overview

Friends' School Lisburn is a Quaker secondary school offering academic education from Year 8 to Year 14, with a separate Preparatory Department. The school provides a comprehensive curriculum across multiple subject departments, supported by an extensive extra-curricular programme including clubs, societies, and the Duke of Edinburgh's Award. The institution operates a cashless payment system via ParentPay and maintains partnerships with educational resource providers such as Tooled Up Education for parental support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Secondary Education (Years 8-14) Coeducational Quaker secondary education programme covering Years 8-14, including GCSE (Key Stage 4) and A-Level (Key Stage 5) qualifications, delivered on the school's main campus at 6 Magheralave Rd, Lisburn. Aimed at students aged 11-18 in Northern Ireland.
• Preparatory Department

Quantifiable outcome

• 90% of GCSE grades at A*-B with 78% at A*/A; 60 pupils achieved 10+ GCSEs at A*/A
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Tooled Up EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFriends' School subscribes to Tooled Up Education, providing all families privileged access to a regularly updated digital library of evidence-based parenting resources, tips, videos, and podcasts curated by Dr Kathy Weston. The partnership supports holistic family life beyond school gates.
• South Antrim Hockey ClubminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe school's two sand-dressed floodlit hockey pitches (state-of-the-art facility completed 2013) are leased to South Antrim Hockey Club, providing community access to the facilities.
• ParentPaycoreTechnology or IntegrationFriends' operates a cashless system in school. ParentPay is used for all payments including catering and trips, enabling convenient digital transactions for parents.
• Department of EducationcoreOthersThe school operates under Department of Education guidelines with appointed governors from the Department. The school follows DE recommendations for policies and procedures including Child Protection Policy and attendance guidelines.
• Dr Kathy WestonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr Kathy Weston is one of the UK's leading experts on parental engagement. She curates the Tooled Up Education platform providing resources to Friends' families.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Campbell College: Independent voluntary grammar school in Belfast for boys, with strong academic record and extra-curricular breadth. Direct competitor for families seeking premium secondary education in Northern Ireland.
• Methodist College Belfast: Leading independent coeducational school in Belfast offering GCSE and A-Level programmes with strong academic outcomes and pastoral care. Direct peer as another high-achieving Northern Ireland independent school competing for similar families.
• Sullivan Upper School: Independent voluntary grammar school in Holywood, County Down, with strong academic outcomes and coeducational intake. Comparable in target market and academic positioning.
• Bootham School: Independent Quaker school in York, England, with similar values-based ethos, coeducational intake, and GCSE/A-Level curriculum. Strongest direct peer given shared Religious Society of Friends heritage.
• Ackworth School: Coeducational Quaker boarding and day school in West Yorkshire with similar values-driven approach, mixed-age secondary provision, and historic heritage dating to the 18th century.
• Dalriada School: Independent coeducational school in Ballymena offering GCSE and A-Level programmes. Comparable in scale, curriculum, and target demographic within Northern Ireland.
• The Friends' School, Saffron Walden: Coeducational Quaker school in Essex with shared Religious Society of Friends heritage, similar values-based ethos, and full secondary curriculum. Direct peer as another historic British Quaker school.
• Royal Belfast Academical Institution: Historic independent grammar school in Belfast with similar academic profile, coeducational intake, and emphasis on traditional values. Directly comparable in target market, curriculum offering, and fee structure.

Regional players

• Bangor Grammar School: Voluntary grammar school for boys in Bangor, Northern Ireland. Comparable in curriculum and target demographic though serves different sub-region than Lisburn.

Broad incumbents

• Wellington College: Large, high-prestige independent coeducational school in Berkshire, England. Comparable in offering premium independent secondary education with extensive extra-curricular programmes, though at greater scale and global draw.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/friendslisburn

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles26 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 Friends' School Lisburn