Leeds: how secondary school cut-offs moved in 2026

Last distance offered, Year 7, National Offer Day 2025 compared with 2026 · Catchmently analysis of council figures

Leeds had 12 clearly oversubscribed secondary schools with a single published last distance offered in both 2025 and 2026. On National Offer Day 2026, 4 had a shorter distance than the year before and 8 a longer one. Only 5 of the 12 stayed within 10% of the previous year's figure.

In 2026, 83.2% of secondary applicants were offered their first preference (England 83.6%; 71st lowest of 152 councils). In 2026, 92.4% of primary applicants were offered their first preference (England 92.4%; 71st lowest of 152 councils).

At 10 Leeds secondaries, the distance only counts inside a priority group

Leeds shows on each school's page which admission priority the last child offered a place met. At these 10 oversubscribed secondaries in 2026 it was a priority group such as catchment, faith or a feeder school, not plain distance. Places are offered in priority order, so on offer day no child in a lower priority was offered a place, however close they lived. The last distance offered only compares children inside that group.

• Roundhay, Ruth Gorse and Carr Manor gave their last place to a child in the catchment area in each of 2024, 2025 and 2026. Their 2026 figures (0.979, 0.970 and 0.942 miles) apply only inside the catchment. Outside it, a child needed a higher priority, such as a brother or sister at Roundhay.
• Horsforth School: in 2026, 5 places went to children with an education, health and care plan, 111 to brothers and sisters and 169 to children living in the LS18 catchment area. No places were left for the nearest-school or "any other children" priorities. In 2024 places still reached "any other children", with the last at 0.977 miles.
• The Morley Academy: in 2025 the last place went to "any other children" at 2.864 miles. In 2026 it went to a child in the catchment area at 1.252 miles, so last year's figure said little about this year's.
• Abbey Grange, Cardinal Heenan, Mount St Mary's and Leeds Jewish Free School gave their last place to a faith or named feeder-school priority, so their distances only apply to children who meet it. At Abbey Grange no place reached "any other children" in 2026.

Each priority links to the school's page on leeds.gov.uk ("How places were allocated in previous years"). First choices not offered: Department for Education.

School by school

How each school's last distance offered changed between 2025 and 2026, and how many families who put it first were not offered a place in 2026 (Department for Education).

The biggest moves, as published

• Otley Prince Henry's Grammar School Specialist Language College: 3.082 mi in 2025, 2.062 mi in 2026 (−33%). Council source
• Guiseley School: 1.604 mi in 2025, 2.480 mi in 2026 (+55%). Council source

Year-by-year distances for every school in Leeds are in the pass, each with its source and offer date.

Reception (primary)

Clearly oversubscribed primary schools in Leeds with a single published last distance offered in both years:

Open Leeds on the map Schools in Leeds

Before you apply

A school's last distance offered depends on how many children apply, how many siblings take places first, which priority group the last place fell in and how the council measures distance. If the last place went to a group such as catchment or siblings, the distance, and how it moved, only applies within that group. Look at three or more years, read each school's admission rules and use every preference. Secondary applications close on 31 October 2026 (key dates, offer day and appeals). Read how to read a last distance offered or the national picture.

Method and sources

• "Clearly oversubscribed" means at least 10 first-preference applicants were not offered a place in both 2025 and 2026. Selective schools and schools with banded or multi-row figures are left out, so not every Leeds school appears here.
• Distances are compared as published by the council, in its own way of measuring, and shown in miles. A last distance offered is not a catchment area and does not show any family's chance of a place. Schools where the council shows the last place falling in a different priority group each year are left out. Other large swings can reflect catchment changes or added places rather than demand.
• Council publications: leeds.gov.uk: prince henrys grammar school otley · leeds.gov.uk: allerton grange school · leeds.gov.uk: trinity academy leeds · leeds.gov.uk: cockburn laurence calvert academy · leeds.gov.uk: boston spa academy · leeds.gov.uk: horsforth school · leeds.gov.uk: dixons trinity chapeltown secondary site · leeds.gov.uk: rodillian academy · leeds.gov.uk: the ruth gorse academy · leeds.gov.uk: the farnley academy · leeds.gov.uk: cockburn school · leeds.gov.uk: guiseley school · leeds.gov.uk: morley victoria primary school. Applications and offers: Department for Education (OGL v3.0).