Sheffield: 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

Sheffield had 8 clearly oversubscribed secondary schools with a single published last distance offered in both 2025 and 2026. On National Offer Day 2026, 3 had a shorter distance than the year before and 5 a longer one. Only 2 of the 8 stayed within 10% of the previous year's figure.

In 2026, 88.7% of secondary applicants were offered their first preference (England 83.6%; 53rd highest of 152 councils). In 2026, 95.1% of primary applicants were offered their first preference (England 92.4%; 31st highest of 152 councils).

At 5 of these 8 Sheffield secondaries, the distance only counts inside a priority group

Sheffield City Council publishes how many places each oversubscribed secondary offered in each admission category, how many children in each category were refused, and the distance of the last place offered, which it notes is by admission category. At these 5 schools in 2026 the last places went to the catchment or feeder-school category, and the last category, all other applications, received no places. The distance only compares children inside that category. At Ecclesfield, Meadowhead and Silverdale the last places went to all other applications.

• Mercia School: all 194 places went to children in care, children with an education, health and care plan and children in the catchment area. 161 catchment children were still refused a place (178 in 2025).
• High Storrs: all 244 places went to children in care, children with a plan and catchment children (94 with a brother or sister at the school, 139 without). 42 catchment children were refused (18 in 2025).
• King Ecgbert: only 4 places reached the feeder-school category in 2026. 21 feeder-school children and 53 others were refused.
• Astrea Academy and Oasis Academy Don Valley: the last places in 2026 went to feeder-school children (14 and 2). In 2025 they went to a different category (all other applications at Astrea, catchment at Oasis Don Valley), so the two years' distances measure different groups of children.

Each category links to Sheffield City Council's table of oversubscribed secondary schools for September 2026; refused means on the waiting list on offer day. 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

• Meadowhead School Academy Trust: 2.516 mi in 2025, 1.543 mi in 2026 (−39%). Council source
• Astrea Academy Sheffield: 0.585 mi in 2025, 1.616 mi in 2026 (+176%). Council source

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

Open Sheffield on the map Schools in Sheffield

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 Sheffield 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: sheffield.gov.uk: oversubscribed secondary schools 2026 v2. Applications and offers: Department for Education (OGL v3.0).