Where families are least likely to get their first-choice school
Share of applicants offered their first-preference school on National Offer Day 2026, all 152 English councils · Department for Education figures · September 2026
Across England, 83.6% of secondary applicants and 92.4% of primary applicants were offered their first-preference school in 2026. But where you live changes the odds a lot: in Greenwich, only 60.2% of secondary applicants got their first choice.
83.6%of secondary applicants got their first choice (England)
60.2%lowest secondary rate: Greenwich
92.4%of primary applicants got their first choice (England)
74.6%lowest primary rate: Hammersmith and Fulham
Key findings
- Secondary: the lowest first-preference rates were in Greenwich (60.2%), Wandsworth (60.4%), Lambeth (61.4%), Richmond upon Thames (62.2%), Lewisham (63.5%). The highest were in Dorset (97.9%), Cornwall (97.4%), East Riding of Yorkshire (96.8%).
- Primary: the lowest were in Hammersmith and Fulham (74.6%), Kensington and Chelsea (75.4%), Wandsworth (78.5%), Islington (79.4%), Lambeth (80.6%). The highest were in Nottinghamshire (99.1%), Hartlepool (98.3%), Cumberland (98.2%).
- London dominates the bottom of both lists. The Department for Education notes that London councils usually let families name up to six schools, against three in most other areas. More choice means more families aim high, so fewer get their first preference, even though almost everyone gets one of their choices.
- Biggest secondary falls from 2025: Windsor and Maidenhead (82.5% to 75.5%), Knowsley (84.1% to 78.1%), Barking and Dagenham (87.0% to 81.9%).
- A council-wide rate says nothing certain about a particular school. Within one council, some schools take every applicant while others turn away hundreds.
Secondary (Year 7), all councils
Lowest first-preference rate first. Offers made on 2 March 2026.
| # | Council | First preference | Change from 2025 | One of top three | Applications |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| England | 83.6% | +0.1 pts | 95.0% | 589,747 | |
| 1 | Greenwich | 60.2% | −3.6 pts | 81.8% | 3,054 |
| 2 | Wandsworth | 60.4% | −3.9 pts | 83.3% | 2,164 |
| 3 | Lambeth | 61.4% | −2.7 pts | 84.8% | 2,198 |
| 4 | Richmond upon Thames | 62.2% | −2.7 pts | 84.5% | 2,021 |
| 5 | Lewisham | 63.5% | −0.4 pts | 84.9% | 2,828 |
| 6 | Hammersmith and Fulham | 64.5% | +0.7 pts | 86.8% | 1,109 |
| 7 | City of London | 65.2% | −0.4 pts | 91.3% | 23 |
| 8 | Harrow | 65.6% | −0.0 pts | 85.1% | 2,840 |
| 9 | Westminster | 65.8% | −1.1 pts | 88.1% | 901 |
| 10 | Islington | 66.2% | −2.4 pts | 91.0% | 1,593 |
| 11 | Bromley | 66.3% | −1.0 pts | 85.1% | 3,651 |
| 12 | Kensington and Chelsea | 66.8% | +0.1 pts | 87.9% | 602 |
| 13 | Hillingdon | 67.2% | +0.0 pts | 87.1% | 3,520 |
| 14 | Merton | 67.4% | −1.6 pts | 89.6% | 1,982 |
| 15 | Liverpool | 68.1% | −0.0 pts | 86.1% | 5,379 |
| 16 | Bexley | 68.1% | −2.5 pts | 88.3% | 2,992 |
| 17 | Redbridge | 68.4% | +0.8 pts | 88.5% | 3,422 |
| 18 | Slough | 68.7% | −0.2 pts | 89.4% | 2,239 |
| 19 | Hounslow | 68.9% | −2.4 pts | 90.2% | 3,156 |
| 20 | Kingston upon Thames | 69.3% | −4.2 pts | 91.2% | 1,895 |
| 21 | Sutton | 69.5% | −2.5 pts | 89.1% | 2,870 |
| 22 | Brent | 70.4% | −2.8 pts | 89.2% | 3,253 |
| 23 | Croydon | 71.2% | +0.3 pts | 91.0% | 4,184 |
| 24 | Southwark | 72.1% | +0.3 pts | 91.6% | 2,489 |
| 25 | Barnet | 72.7% | +0.3 pts | 89.2% | 3,998 |
| 26 | Ealing | 73.0% | −1.3 pts | 88.8% | 3,627 |
| 27 | Reading | 73.1% | −4.2 pts | 93.3% | 1,794 |
| 28 | Camden | 73.7% | −1.7 pts | 89.9% | 1,261 |
| 29 | Newham | 74.5% | +3.9 pts | 96.0% | 3,682 |
| 30 | Hackney | 74.6% | −2.6 pts | 93.2% | 2,029 |
| 31 | Havering | 74.7% | −1.7 pts | 92.8% | 3,279 |
| 32 | Thurrock | 74.8% | −1.3 pts | 89.1% | 2,478 |
| 33 | Wolverhampton | 74.8% | +3.8 pts | 90.8% | 3,467 |
| 34 | Oldham | 75.2% | −0.8 pts | 94.5% | 3,190 |
| 35 | Windsor and Maidenhead | 75.5% | −6.9 pts | 92.5% | 1,198 |
| 36 | Birmingham | 75.7% | +2.1 pts | 93.1% | 14,483 |
| 37 | West Northamptonshire | 75.8% | −1.4 pts | 94.6% | 4,602 |
| 38 | Telford and Wrekin | 76.1% | +1.5 pts | 89.7% | 2,281 |
| 39 | Buckinghamshire | 76.7% | −0.5 pts | 90.7% | 6,535 |
| 40 | Haringey | 76.8% | −2.0 pts | 94.4% | 2,285 |
| 41 | Enfield | 77.0% | −0.7 pts | 93.8% | 3,975 |
| 42 | Manchester | 77.1% | +2.7 pts | 93.1% | 6,542 |
| 43 | Walsall | 77.4% | +1.5 pts | 91.4% | 3,782 |
| 44 | Hertfordshire | 77.5% | +1.7 pts | 92.4% | 13,456 |
| 45 | Knowsley | 78.1% | −6.1 pts | 93.5% | 1,828 |
| 46 | Bradford | 78.1% | +0.7 pts | 91.4% | 7,489 |
| 47 | Southend-on-Sea | 78.3% | −3.5 pts | 95.1% | 2,060 |
| 48 | Kent | 78.9% | −1.7 pts | 94.8% | 18,644 |
| 49 | Blackburn with Darwen | 78.9% | −3.1 pts | 94.1% | 2,116 |
| 50 | Newcastle upon Tyne | 79.0% | −0.7 pts | 91.4% | 2,594 |
| 51 | Tower Hamlets | 79.1% | +4.3 pts | 94.7% | 2,716 |
| 52 | Waltham Forest | 79.5% | −5.0 pts | 94.5% | 2,724 |
| 53 | Solihull | 79.7% | +1.4 pts | 93.6% | 2,632 |
| 54 | Torbay | 79.7% | +0.3 pts | 92.9% | 1,279 |
| 55 | Stockport | 79.9% | +3.7 pts | 91.6% | 3,368 |
| 56 | Nottingham | 80.3% | +1.0 pts | 92.4% | 3,688 |
| 57 | Medway | 80.4% | +0.7 pts | 93.9% | 3,586 |
| 58 | Sandwell | 80.8% | −0.2 pts | 94.1% | 4,404 |
| 59 | Trafford | 81.0% | +2.5 pts | 95.7% | 3,221 |
| 60 | Surrey | 81.3% | +0.7 pts | 94.1% | 11,986 |
| 61 | Derby | 81.7% | −2.3 pts | 94.5% | 3,099 |
| 62 | Barking and Dagenham | 81.9% | −5.1 pts | 94.4% | 3,094 |
| 63 | Coventry | 82.1% | −0.8 pts | 94.6% | 4,348 |
| 64 | Milton Keynes | 82.2% | −0.5 pts | 94.7% | 3,768 |
| 65 | Warwickshire | 82.3% | +1.1 pts | 95.2% | 6,716 |
| 66 | Wokingham | 82.4% | +0.8 pts | 96.3% | 2,318 |
| 67 | Bracknell Forest | 82.7% | −1.6 pts | 95.0% | 1,337 |
| 68 | Luton | 82.8% | +0.4 pts | 95.5% | 2,972 |
| 69 | Peterborough | 82.9% | +2.1 pts | 96.6% | 2,762 |
| 70 | Brighton and Hove | 82.9% | +3.4 pts | 97.4% | 2,154 |
| 71 | Leeds | 83.2% | −0.7 pts | 93.6% | 9,313 |
| 72 | Isle of Wight | 83.4% | −2.1 pts | 94.3% | 1,221 |
| 73 | Portsmouth | 83.4% | +7.7 pts | 95.0% | 2,140 |
| 74 | Essex | 83.4% | −0.4 pts | 94.9% | 16,568 |
| 75 | Southampton | 83.4% | +0.5 pts | 93.4% | 2,668 |
| 76 | Leicester | 83.9% | +1.7 pts | 94.5% | 4,613 |
| 77 | Bristol, City of | 84.0% | +1.9 pts | 96.7% | 4,426 |
| 78 | Middlesbrough | 84.3% | −1.2 pts | 95.5% | 1,913 |
| 79 | North Tyneside | 84.3% | −1.4 pts | 94.4% | 1,685 |
| 80 | Lincolnshire | 84.7% | −1.3 pts | 96.4% | 7,828 |
| 81 | Blackpool | 84.9% | +2.1 pts | 94.7% | 1,503 |
| 82 | Kingston upon Hull, City of | 84.9% | −1.9 pts | 95.2% | 3,093 |
| 83 | North Northamptonshire | 85.2% | +2.3 pts | 96.4% | 4,186 |
| 84 | Oxfordshire | 85.4% | −2.1 pts | 95.6% | 6,814 |
| 85 | Salford | 85.9% | +2.7 pts | 95.9% | 2,789 |
| 86 | East Sussex | 86.3% | +0.2 pts | 95.9% | 4,990 |
| 87 | Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole | 86.4% | +0.5 pts | 96.1% | 3,624 |
| 88 | Tameside | 86.7% | +2.1 pts | 95.5% | 2,719 |
| 89 | Gloucestershire | 86.8% | +2.2 pts | 95.9% | 6,517 |
| 90 | Rochdale | 86.8% | +1.1 pts | 96.5% | 2,860 |
| 91 | Bolton | 87.1% | +4.5 pts | 96.8% | 3,868 |
| 92 | Dudley | 87.1% | +3.2 pts | 97.4% | 3,570 |
| 93 | Lancashire | 87.1% | +0.8 pts | 97.2% | 13,782 |
| 94 | Gateshead | 87.1% | +0.9 pts | 97.7% | 1,850 |
| 95 | West Sussex | 87.5% | −0.2 pts | 97.6% | 8,765 |
| 96 | Worcestershire | 88.1% | −0.3 pts | 95.7% | 3,828 |
| 97 | Cambridgeshire | 88.3% | +0.1 pts | 96.6% | 6,755 |
| 98 | Bath and North East Somerset | 88.4% | −4.0 pts | 96.9% | 1,769 |
| 99 | Stoke-on-Trent | 88.5% | +2.0 pts | 96.5% | 3,223 |
| 100 | Sheffield | 88.7% | −0.1 pts | 96.6% | 6,416 |
| 101 | Warrington | 88.9% | −2.7 pts | 98.2% | 2,620 |
| 102 | Sefton | 89.0% | +4.0 pts | 97.3% | 2,791 |
| 103 | Kirklees | 89.2% | −0.7 pts | 97.8% | 4,787 |
| 104 | South Tyneside | 89.2% | −0.6 pts | 96.9% | 1,548 |
| 105 | South Gloucestershire | 89.4% | −0.6 pts | 98.3% | 3,164 |
| 106 | Doncaster | 89.9% | +0.1 pts | 97.4% | 3,506 |
| 107 | Hampshire | 90.1% | −0.8 pts | 97.6% | 13,874 |
| 108 | Leicestershire | 90.2% | −1.8 pts | 97.7% | 7,490 |
| 109 | Swindon | 90.5% | +3.5 pts | 97.9% | 2,914 |
| 110 | Bedford | 90.6% | +6.6 pts | 98.9% | 2,095 |
| 111 | Bury | 90.7% | +0.9 pts | 98.2% | 2,233 |
| 112 | Wakefield | 90.7% | −0.3 pts | 97.3% | 3,912 |
| 113 | Barnsley | 91.0% | +2.3 pts | 98.2% | 2,653 |
| 114 | Central Bedfordshire | 91.0% | 95.9% | 1,502 | |
| 115 | Shropshire | 91.0% | −0.1 pts | 98.3% | 2,845 |
| 116 | Wigan | 91.1% | +2.7 pts | 97.6% | 3,718 |
| 117 | Calderdale | 91.2% | +1.0 pts | 98.7% | 2,231 |
| 118 | Darlington | 91.5% | −0.3 pts | 98.7% | 1,134 |
| 119 | Plymouth | 91.7% | +2.2 pts | 98.9% | 2,761 |
| 120 | North Yorkshire | 91.9% | −0.8 pts | 98.7% | 5,586 |
| 121 | Staffordshire | 91.9% | +0.3 pts | 98.4% | 7,681 |
| 122 | Herefordshire, County of | 91.9% | −0.5 pts | 98.2% | 1,685 |
| 123 | North East Lincolnshire | 92.0% | −4.1 pts | 96.9% | 1,851 |
| 124 | Somerset | 92.1% | +0.1 pts | 97.7% | 4,659 |
| 125 | Rotherham | 92.4% | +1.4 pts | 97.3% | 2,933 |
| 126 | Nottinghamshire | 92.5% | +1.4 pts | 98.1% | 9,200 |
| 127 | Suffolk | 92.7% | +0.7 pts | 97.7% | 7,204 |
| 128 | Hartlepool | 92.7% | +3.0 pts | 98.5% | 1,061 |
| 129 | Sunderland | 92.9% | −2.2 pts | 97.9% | 2,921 |
| 130 | Redcar and Cleveland | 93.0% | −0.3 pts | 97.5% | 1,452 |
| 131 | Rutland | 93.1% | −1.3 pts | 99.1% | 331 |
| 132 | Cheshire East | 93.1% | −1.6 pts | 98.2% | 4,072 |
| 133 | Devon | 93.3% | +0.0 pts | 98.4% | 7,251 |
| 134 | St. Helens | 93.3% | −3.6 pts | 98.4% | 1,849 |
| 135 | York | 93.7% | +0.1 pts | 98.6% | 1,772 |
| 136 | Wiltshire | 93.9% | −0.8 pts | 98.3% | 4,934 |
| 137 | Norfolk | 94.1% | +0.8 pts | 98.2% | 8,625 |
| 138 | County Durham | 94.2% | +0.2 pts | 98.5% | 4,986 |
| 139 | Derbyshire | 94.5% | −1.0 pts | 98.5% | 7,971 |
| 140 | Stockton-on-Tees | 94.8% | −0.6 pts | 99.2% | 2,216 |
| 141 | West Berkshire | 94.9% | +6.7 pts | 98.8% | 1,680 |
| 142 | Cheshire West and Chester | 95.0% | +0.0 pts | 98.9% | 3,482 |
| 143 | North Somerset | 95.3% | +2.0 pts | 99.1% | 2,256 |
| 144 | Cumberland | 95.3% | −1.9 pts | 98.9% | 2,751 |
| 145 | Wirral | 95.3% | +0.2 pts | 99.1% | 3,305 |
| 146 | Northumberland | 96.0% | −0.1 pts | 97.6% | 1,819 |
| 147 | North Lincolnshire | 96.2% | +0.9 pts | 98.8% | 1,717 |
| 148 | Halton | 96.2% | −0.2 pts | 99.2% | 1,471 |
| 149 | Westmorland and Furness | 96.4% | −0.3 pts | 99.5% | 1,903 |
| 150 | East Riding of Yorkshire | 96.8% | −1.0 pts | 99.0% | 3,190 |
| 151 | Cornwall | 97.4% | +0.3 pts | 99.3% | 5,542 |
| 152 | Dorset | 97.9% | +1.8 pts | 99.0% | 2,105 |
Primary (Reception), all councils
Lowest first-preference rate first. Offers made on 16 April 2026. Very small councils such as the City of London have few applicants, so their rates can swing.
| # | Council | First preference | Change from 2025 | One of top three | Applications |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| England | 92.4% | −0.1 pts | 98.4% | 541,547 | |
| 1 | City of London | 73.9% | −15.0 pts | 100.0% | 23 |
| 2 | Hammersmith and Fulham | 74.6% | +1.2 pts | 90.5% | 1,186 |
| 3 | Kensington and Chelsea | 75.4% | +0.6 pts | 90.7% | 582 |
| 4 | Wandsworth | 78.5% | +1.7 pts | 91.1% | 2,403 |
| 5 | Islington | 79.4% | −1.6 pts | 91.7% | 1,683 |
| 6 | Lambeth | 80.6% | −2.3 pts | 94.1% | 2,122 |
| 7 | Camden | 81.5% | +1.3 pts | 93.4% | 1,251 |
| 8 | Westminster | 82.4% | −3.5 pts | 94.6% | 925 |
| 9 | Southwark | 84.3% | −0.3 pts | 95.7% | 2,248 |
| 10 | Haringey | 86.0% | +1.1 pts | 95.7% | 2,193 |
| 11 | Barnet | 86.1% | +1.9 pts | 96.8% | 3,649 |
| 12 | Windsor and Maidenhead | 86.2% | +4.0 pts | 96.4% | 1,266 |
| 13 | Merton | 86.4% | −0.6 pts | 95.3% | 2,015 |
| 14 | Harrow | 86.6% | −1.0 pts | 96.5% | 2,650 |
| 15 | Knowsley | 86.6% | −3.7 pts | 96.3% | 1,953 |
| 16 | Lewisham | 87.4% | −2.5 pts | 97.7% | 2,840 |
| 17 | Wokingham | 87.5% | −2.5 pts | 97.7% | 1,832 |
| 18 | Bromley | 87.7% | −1.3 pts | 97.8% | 3,203 |
| 19 | Southend-on-Sea | 87.8% | −2.5 pts | 97.8% | 1,741 |
| 20 | Hackney | 88.1% | +3.1 pts | 97.1% | 1,677 |
| 21 | Warwickshire | 88.1% | −2.5 pts | 97.5% | 6,281 |
| 22 | Redbridge | 88.2% | −0.6 pts | 96.6% | 3,417 |
| 23 | Brent | 88.5% | +2.6 pts | 98.1% | 3,128 |
| 24 | Liverpool | 88.6% | −1.1 pts | 97.3% | 4,736 |
| 25 | Wigan | 88.7% | −0.9 pts | 97.3% | 3,541 |
| 26 | Richmond upon Thames | 88.8% | +0.2 pts | 98.1% | 1,663 |
| 27 | Hertfordshire | 89.1% | +1.1 pts | 97.8% | 12,543 |
| 28 | Bracknell Forest | 89.1% | −0.1 pts | 96.8% | 1,397 |
| 29 | Rochdale | 89.2% | −2.5 pts | 97.3% | 2,831 |
| 30 | Greenwich | 89.3% | −2.0 pts | 97.8% | 2,921 |
| 31 | Blackburn with Darwen | 89.3% | −1.7 pts | 97.9% | 1,926 |
| 32 | Hounslow | 89.3% | +1.2 pts | 98.0% | 2,856 |
| 33 | Bolton | 89.5% | −0.2 pts | 96.8% | 3,455 |
| 34 | Croydon | 89.6% | +2.9 pts | 98.2% | 4,082 |
| 35 | Kent | 89.7% | −0.9 pts | 98.2% | 16,593 |
| 36 | Surrey | 89.8% | +1.4 pts | 98.1% | 11,426 |
| 37 | Kingston upon Thames | 90.0% | +1.8 pts | 98.8% | 1,457 |
| 38 | Thurrock | 90.1% | −1.5 pts | 97.0% | 2,192 |
| 39 | Ealing | 90.2% | +1.3 pts | 97.1% | 3,394 |
| 40 | Central Bedfordshire | 90.3% | +0.2 pts | 97.7% | 3,678 |
| 41 | St. Helens | 90.3% | −3.6 pts | 97.7% | 1,809 |
| 42 | Essex | 90.3% | +0.0 pts | 97.6% | 15,737 |
| 43 | Waltham Forest | 90.6% | +0.4 pts | 97.8% | 3,040 |
| 44 | West Berkshire | 90.8% | −3.0 pts | 98.1% | 1,547 |
| 45 | Reading | 91.1% | −3.2 pts | 98.6% | 1,844 |
| 46 | Salford | 91.1% | +1.8 pts | 97.6% | 2,753 |
| 47 | East Sussex | 91.1% | −0.1 pts | 97.7% | 4,559 |
| 48 | Newham | 91.3% | +0.4 pts | 98.2% | 3,960 |
| 49 | Lancashire | 91.3% | −1.7 pts | 98.3% | 12,122 |
| 50 | Telford and Wrekin | 91.3% | −1.8 pts | 97.9% | 2,124 |
| 51 | Slough | 91.3% | −0.5 pts | 98.3% | 1,918 |
| 52 | Sefton | 91.4% | −1.4 pts | 98.6% | 2,586 |
| 53 | Bexley | 91.4% | −0.9 pts | 97.8% | 2,637 |
| 54 | Bury | 91.4% | −3.6 pts | 98.1% | 1,901 |
| 55 | Havering | 91.5% | +1.6 pts | 97.6% | 3,066 |
| 56 | Buckinghamshire | 91.6% | +1.7 pts | 98.2% | 5,630 |
| 57 | Gloucestershire | 91.6% | −0.3 pts | 97.8% | 6,016 |
| 58 | North Tyneside | 91.7% | −0.8 pts | 96.2% | 2,025 |
| 59 | Solihull | 91.7% | −0.9 pts | 98.8% | 2,090 |
| 60 | Warrington | 91.9% | −4.1 pts | 98.3% | 2,024 |
| 61 | Oldham | 92.0% | −1.5 pts | 98.2% | 2,814 |
| 62 | Dudley | 92.0% | −0.3 pts | 98.2% | 3,314 |
| 63 | Bristol, City of | 92.0% | −1.3 pts | 99.1% | 4,287 |
| 64 | Birmingham | 92.1% | −0.3 pts | 99.0% | 12,117 |
| 65 | Sutton | 92.1% | +0.5 pts | 99.2% | 2,159 |
| 66 | Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole | 92.2% | +3.2 pts | 99.0% | 3,148 |
| 67 | Bradford | 92.3% | −3.0 pts | 98.1% | 6,301 |
| 68 | Cheshire East | 92.3% | −1.3 pts | 98.6% | 3,733 |
| 69 | Cheshire West and Chester | 92.3% | −0.1 pts | 98.5% | 3,274 |
| 70 | West Sussex | 92.4% | +0.7 pts | 99.2% | 8,127 |
| 71 | Leeds | 92.4% | −0.7 pts | 98.5% | 8,039 |
| 72 | Tower Hamlets | 92.6% | +0.3 pts | 97.8% | 2,713 |
| 73 | Luton | 92.6% | +4.3 pts | 98.9% | 2,863 |
| 74 | Darlington | 92.7% | −3.7 pts | 98.6% | 1,075 |
| 75 | Newcastle upon Tyne | 92.7% | +0.1 pts | 98.2% | 2,886 |
| 76 | South Gloucestershire | 92.8% | +1.8 pts | 98.3% | 3,033 |
| 77 | Portsmouth | 93.0% | +1.1 pts | 98.6% | 1,887 |
| 78 | Wolverhampton | 93.2% | +0.8 pts | 98.5% | 3,213 |
| 79 | Southampton | 93.3% | +0.4 pts | 99.1% | 2,122 |
| 80 | Bedford | 93.4% | −0.2 pts | 98.4% | 1,990 |
| 81 | Hampshire | 93.4% | +1.2 pts | 98.9% | 12,982 |
| 82 | Halton | 93.4% | −2.7 pts | 98.7% | 1,158 |
| 83 | Plymouth | 93.5% | −3.3 pts | 98.4% | 2,294 |
| 84 | Kirklees | 93.8% | +0.2 pts | 99.3% | 4,554 |
| 85 | Enfield | 93.8% | −1.4 pts | 99.1% | 3,263 |
| 86 | Brighton and Hove | 93.8% | +2.6 pts | 99.4% | 1,936 |
| 87 | Walsall | 93.8% | −1.6 pts | 98.3% | 3,340 |
| 88 | Medway | 93.9% | −1.8 pts | 98.8% | 3,130 |
| 89 | Dorset | 93.9% | −0.2 pts | 99.0% | 2,795 |
| 90 | Blackpool | 93.9% | +0.4 pts | 98.7% | 1,300 |
| 91 | North Northamptonshire | 93.9% | +1.4 pts | 98.9% | 3,751 |
| 92 | Leicestershire | 94.0% | −1.4 pts | 99.1% | 6,827 |
| 93 | Worcestershire | 94.0% | −0.4 pts | 99.0% | 5,492 |
| 94 | Oxfordshire | 94.0% | +0.0 pts | 99.1% | 6,903 |
| 95 | Sandwell | 94.1% | +0.3 pts | 98.5% | 3,985 |
| 96 | Stockport | 94.1% | −0.3 pts | 98.8% | 2,886 |
| 97 | York | 94.1% | −1.7 pts | 99.0% | 1,553 |
| 98 | Bath and North East Somerset | 94.1% | −1.4 pts | 98.8% | 1,625 |
| 99 | Torbay | 94.2% | −1.4 pts | 98.9% | 1,000 |
| 100 | Rotherham | 94.3% | −2.0 pts | 98.5% | 2,863 |
| 101 | Norfolk | 94.4% | −1.4 pts | 98.5% | 7,482 |
| 102 | Derby | 94.4% | +2.1 pts | 99.1% | 2,643 |
| 103 | Wakefield | 94.4% | +3.1 pts | 99.0% | 3,654 |
| 104 | Stoke-on-Trent | 94.4% | −0.8 pts | 97.2% | 2,953 |
| 105 | Rutland | 94.5% | −5.5 pts | 100.0% | 271 |
| 106 | Trafford | 94.5% | −0.6 pts | 99.2% | 2,238 |
| 107 | Isle of Wight | 94.5% | +2.9 pts | 98.8% | 931 |
| 108 | Derbyshire | 94.5% | −1.9 pts | 99.2% | 7,189 |
| 109 | Hillingdon | 94.6% | +3.0 pts | 98.9% | 3,222 |
| 110 | West Northamptonshire | 94.6% | +0.2 pts | 99.4% | 4,335 |
| 111 | Cambridgeshire | 94.7% | +0.3 pts | 99.0% | 6,292 |
| 112 | Peterborough | 94.8% | −1.4 pts | 98.9% | 2,365 |
| 113 | Suffolk | 94.9% | −1.4 pts | 99.1% | 6,492 |
| 114 | Nottingham | 94.9% | −0.3 pts | 98.9% | 2,934 |
| 115 | Coventry | 94.9% | +1.2 pts | 99.2% | 3,754 |
| 116 | Sunderland | 95.0% | −0.4 pts | 98.2% | 2,737 |
| 117 | Milton Keynes | 95.0% | +1.9 pts | 99.3% | 3,155 |
| 118 | East Riding of Yorkshire | 95.0% | −1.3 pts | 98.7% | 2,819 |
| 119 | Manchester | 95.0% | −2.4 pts | 99.0% | 5,736 |
| 120 | Somerset | 95.0% | −0.2 pts | 99.0% | 4,928 |
| 121 | Staffordshire | 95.1% | −0.5 pts | 99.1% | 8,344 |
| 122 | Sheffield | 95.1% | −1.7 pts | 98.9% | 5,415 |
| 123 | Kingston upon Hull, City of | 95.2% | −1.9 pts | 98.7% | 2,583 |
| 124 | Wirral | 95.3% | −0.7 pts | 98.9% | 3,017 |
| 125 | Barking and Dagenham | 95.3% | −0.9 pts | 99.1% | 2,970 |
| 126 | Tameside | 95.4% | −0.0 pts | 98.7% | 2,451 |
| 127 | Wiltshire | 95.6% | +0.3 pts | 99.1% | 4,455 |
| 128 | North Yorkshire | 95.6% | +1.2 pts | 98.7% | 5,052 |
| 129 | Swindon | 95.6% | −0.8 pts | 99.4% | 2,416 |
| 130 | Barnsley | 95.7% | −0.6 pts | 99.2% | 2,423 |
| 131 | Cornwall | 95.9% | +0.2 pts | 99.6% | 4,732 |
| 132 | Westmorland and Furness | 96.1% | −1.8 pts | 99.4% | 1,692 |
| 133 | Middlesbrough | 96.3% | −0.8 pts | 99.4% | 1,593 |
| 134 | Herefordshire, County of | 96.3% | −0.5 pts | 99.0% | 1,553 |
| 135 | Lincolnshire | 96.3% | +0.6 pts | 99.7% | 6,453 |
| 136 | Devon | 96.5% | +0.3 pts | 99.1% | 6,494 |
| 137 | Doncaster | 96.5% | −0.6 pts | 98.8% | 3,089 |
| 138 | Calderdale | 96.6% | +1.0 pts | 99.4% | 1,863 |
| 139 | North Lincolnshire | 96.7% | −0.6 pts | 99.3% | 1,566 |
| 140 | Northumberland | 96.8% | +0.2 pts | 98.6% | 2,569 |
| 141 | North Somerset | 96.8% | +0.7 pts | 99.3% | 1,984 |
| 142 | Leicester | 96.8% | +0.7 pts | 99.3% | 3,626 |
| 143 | South Tyneside | 96.9% | +4.1 pts | 99.1% | 1,375 |
| 144 | Redcar and Cleveland | 97.0% | −1.4 pts | 98.0% | 1,345 |
| 145 | County Durham | 97.3% | +0.9 pts | 99.4% | 4,409 |
| 146 | North East Lincolnshire | 97.4% | −2.6 pts | 99.6% | 1,358 |
| 147 | Shropshire | 97.4% | +1.9 pts | 99.8% | 2,582 |
| 148 | Stockton-on-Tees | 97.7% | −0.1 pts | 99.5% | 1,901 |
| 149 | Gateshead | 98.1% | +1.2 pts | 99.8% | 1,785 |
| 150 | Cumberland | 98.2% | −0.3 pts | 99.7% | 2,352 |
| 151 | Hartlepool | 98.3% | +0.6 pts | 99.6% | 979 |
| 152 | Nottinghamshire | 99.1% | +3.3 pts | 99.7% | 7,912 |
What this means for your application
In an area with a low first-preference rate, it matters even more to use every preference and include a school you are very likely to be offered. Ranking a school lower does not reduce your chance of it. For each school, check how far places went in recent years (how to read a last distance offered) and remember that the distance moves: at only 31% of oversubscribed secondaries did it stay within 10% of the year before (research).
Check the schools near you
Catchmently maps every school in England with its Ofsted report, results and the admissions figures councils publish, each linked to its source. Searching is free. The one-off 3-month pass shows each school's last distance offered year by year.
Source
Department for Education, Primary and secondary school applications and offers, academic year 2026/27, published 18 June 2026. Rates are for applicants resident in each council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.