The Royal Belfast Academical Institution

Very best wishes to all of our pupils receiving their GCSE results tomorrow, and to the parents and families who have supported them along the way.

We hope tomorrow brings a well-deserved sense of pride and achievement, and we wish every pupil continued success in the next stage of their journey.

Our new South Wing development is now well underway. From 2027 and over the coming decades, thousands of RBAI pupils will benefit from this investment, which will provide a state of the art setting to help us prepare future leaders and innovators.

Find out more at https://rbaifoundation.org/south-wing-development/

Our Uniform Repurposing Shop will be open on Friday 21st August 9.30am – 12pm in the Dining Hall. Come along and bag yourself a bargain!

Suggested minimum donations range from £1 for shirts and £2 for shorts, ties and jumpers to £10 for blazers – we have a large range of items in stock.

Bravo to the Class of 2026 whose successes in this year’s A level/BTEC results confirm their deserved place in the illustrious and eminent Roll of Honour of RBAI.

An exceptional 48% of grades secured were A*-A, and more than 9/10 grades were A*-C. Unsurprisingly, the post-school destinations for this outstanding group of young men are astonishing: the vast majority are going to university and, from QUB to Ulster, to the best, most prestigious, and most dynamic, universities in England and Scotland, and further afield to the United States, this latest generation of RBAI undergraduates will make a transformational impact wherever they go.

The breadth of subjects being studied is extraordinary: from Medicine, to History, to Law, to Engineering, to Sport, to Business, and a hundred in-between, demonstrating the richness in qualities and ambitions which define this cohort.

Similarly, an impressive number of students have opted to take the highly competitive route of apprenticeships and/or going straight into the workplace, having developed their skills and confidence at RBAI.

Principal Dr Walker commented: “These results demonstrate the unique spirit of RBAI: a devotion to excellence, a respect for self and others, and a commitment to engage and to become the difference that the world needs. Well done to a wonderful group.”

Class of 2026… Thinking of you and your parents this evening. You’ve done us proud and we wish you all the very best for your next chapter.

🥇👏🎉Jack McMillan and Team GB do it again!

Well done Jack, we couldn’t be more proud of you!👏👏👏

Unstoppable 😤

In one of the most thrilling 4x200m freestyle races we've ever seen, GB men take the European title 🥇

Matt Richards, James Guy, Jack McMillan and Duncan Scott get the job done 💪

| Aquatics GB

🎤🎧Beyond the Pillars podcast - Year 8 special

A new academic year is fast approaching and we can’t wait to welcome our new Year 8 pupils to begin their journey at RBAI.

In this must-listen episode, Amos, Hishaam and Tom share their experiences and offer advice and guidance to the new Year 8 pupils. The episode also features our Deputy Head of School, Luke, who provides an overview of the Year 8 Mentor programme.

Listen now:

Apple- https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/special-year-8-advice-on-starting-rbai/id1798940685?i=1000774069947

Spotify- https://open.spotify.com/episode/2ZwFwQfDJrLNpzn8Hu6J5T?si=VRe8qg3qSdeC0Rg03apTkA

A date for the diary - Inchmarlo Autumn Gala:

📅 Date: Saturday 10th October 2026

📍 Location: Culloden Estate and Spa

🎟️ Order Tickets: https://forms.gle/qQTMtNAerZhZk7PDA

Throwback Thursday . . .

It’s that time again – can you guess the year?

🎉This year was a very special one for RBAI, with plenty of celebrations including a Waterfront gala concert and Instonians Sports Day.

🛶Our Year 8s enjoyed their annual residential trip to Ganaway.

🎨The Art department led the creation of a unique sculpture to celebrate an important year for RBAI, which took nearly six months to complete.

👑Some lucky CCF members had the chance to meet The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh at Hillsborough Castle.

🐾A team of RAF Cadets took part in a summer camp at RAF Kinloss, engaging in a diverse range of activities including a visit to the Dog Section.

🌊A highlight of the Senior CU calendar was a weekend trip to Sheep Island View Hostel in Ballintoy.

🎭The Drama Society joined forces with Strathearn School to put on two evenings of performances including ‘Twelve Angry Men’.

⚜️The Scout Group joined Habitat for Humanity NI to build homes for families in need in Mozambique.

🇨🇱After two years of planning and fundraising, two RBAI teams took on a World Challenge to Chile, pictured here at the summit of Volcan Lascar.

💻Matthew McClatchey (Year 😎 was named winner of the prestigious ‘Young Web Designer of the Year’ competition.

🏉The Under 12s rugby season was severely affected by snow but this photo of them celebrating a win against Methody at Pirrie Park was a highlight.

🎾The Intermediate tennis team secured an impressive Intermediate Cup win against Sullivan Upper.

♟️Brothers Kiran (Year 9) and Kevin Robbin (Year 8 ) won Ulster’s most prestigious schools chess tournament, earning themselves a chance to represent Ulster.

👨🏻And finally – a number of RBAI staff took part in ‘Movember’ for charity – there are a few familiar faces here!


And in other news…

In this year, Apple officially launched the first generation iPad and Instagram was launched as a new photo sharing app.

What a year!

🎧🏉Beyond the Pillars with Brian McLaughlin


Mr Brian McLaughlin is the latest guest on our Beyond the Pillars podcast. Brian was Head of PE at RBAI (1992-2009) and led the 1st XV to nine Schools Cup Finals, winning five of them. Brian also worked as skills coach for the Ireland rugby team under Eddie O’Sullivan and was appointed Ulster Head Coach in 2009, leading them to the Heineken Cup Final in 2012. Brian discusses his teaching and coaching career, as well as the important role that sport can play for lifelong learning.

Listen now:

Spotify- https://open.spotify.com/episode/6IgqaEA97tVlOr3mTbcGrr?si=7U2GeUgUS4CoPc1xQcvBSQ

Apple- https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/special-coaching-resilience-with-brian-mclaughlin/id1798940685?i=1000774668641b