The hardest places in England to get a first-choice school, council by council
In Greenwich, 60.2% of families were offered their first-choice secondary school in 2026. In Dorset it was 97.9%. The ten hardest councils for both Reception and Year 7 places are all in London. Every council in England, ranked.
On this year's offer days, 83.6% of families in England were offered their first-choice secondary school, and 92.4% their first-choice primary, against 83.5% and 92.6% the year before. The national figures hide a very wide range between councils.
In Greenwich, 60.2% of families were offered their first-choice secondary school for September 2026, so 39.8% were not. In Dorset the figure was 97.9%. That is a 37.7 point gap within one national admissions system, applying the same rules on the same day.
Secondary: the ten hardest councils are all in London
Across London as a whole, 70.4% of families got their first-choice secondary school. In every other region it was above 82%. London families also cross council boundaries far more: 19.3% of London's secondary offers were at a school in another borough, against 8.5% in the West Midlands, the next highest region. Popular schools near a borough edge draw applicants from several councils at once.
The hardest places outside London
Outside London, the hardest council for a first-choice secondary place was Liverpool (68.1%), followed by Slough (68.7%).
| Council | Region | Secondary first choice |
|---|---|---|
| Liverpool | North West | 68.1% |
| Slough | South East | 68.7% |
| Reading | South East | 73.1% |
| Thurrock | East of England | 74.8% |
| Wolverhampton | West Midlands | 74.8% |
| Oldham | North West | 75.2% |
| Windsor and Maidenhead | South East | 75.5% |
| Birmingham | West Midlands | 75.7% |
| West Northamptonshire | East Midlands | 75.8% |
| Telford and Wrekin | West Midlands | 76.1% |
Families offered none of the schools they named
Missing a first choice usually still means a second or third. The harder outcome is an offer at a school the family never listed, or no offer at all on the day. Across England that happened to 21,075 families applying for secondary places (3.6%). In Greenwich it was 11.8%, or 360 families.
| Council | Families | Share of applicants |
|---|---|---|
| Greenwich | 360 | 11.8% |
| Liverpool | 562 | 10.4% |
| Wandsworth | 212 | 9.8% |
| Telford and Wrekin | 220 | 9.6% |
| Lambeth | 193 | 8.8% |
Where it changed most in a year
England's secondary rate moved by +0.1pp between 2025/26 and 2026/27, but 7 councils moved by five points or more. The biggest fall was in Windsor and Maidenhead, from 82.5% to 75.5%. The biggest rise was in Portsmouth, from 75.7% to 83.4%.
| Council | 2025/26 | 2026/27 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Windsor and Maidenhead | 82.5% | 75.5% | -6.9pp |
| Knowsley | 84.1% | 78.1% | -6.1pp |
| Barking and Dagenham | 87.0% | 81.9% | -5.1pp |
| Waltham Forest | 84.6% | 79.5% | -5.0pp |
| Kingston upon Thames | 73.5% | 69.3% | -4.2pp |
| Portsmouth | 75.7% | 83.4% | +7.7pp |
| West Berkshire | 88.3% | 94.9% | +6.7pp |
| Bedford | 84.1% | 90.6% | +6.6pp |
| Bolton | 82.6% | 87.1% | +4.5pp |
| Tower Hamlets | 74.8% | 79.1% | +4.3pp |
Reception: London again, and nowhere else close
Primary places are far easier to get almost everywhere, because fewer children have been starting school each year since births in England peaked in 2012. 92.4% of families in England got their first-choice primary school. In Hammersmith and Fulham it was 74.6%, against 99.1% in Nottinghamshire.
Outside London, the hardest councils for a first-choice Reception place were Windsor and Maidenhead (86.2%), Knowsley (86.6%) and Wokingham (87.5%).
If you are applying now
Reception applications for September 2027 close on 15 January, and secondary offers for the same September arrive on 1 March. The council you live in sets your odds more than anything you do, but three things are in your control: name every school you are allowed to, in your true order of preference, and include at least one you are very likely to get. A council can only offer a school you named; if none has room, it offers whatever school does.
Each council's own figures, with demand at every school and how its appeals go, are in the Reception guides and the secondary offer day guides.
Every council in England
Ranked hardest first. "None they named" is the share offered a school they did not list, or nothing, on offer day. Councils with fewer than 500 applicants are listed but not ranked, because a handful of families moves their rate by several points. Both tables are also available as a spreadsheet (CSV).
| Rank | Council | Region | Applicants | First choice | One of top three | None they named | Change on 2025/26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Greenwich | London | 3,054 | 60.2% | 81.8% | 11.8% | -3.6pp |
| 2 | Wandsworth | London | 2,164 | 60.4% | 83.3% | 9.8% | -3.9pp |
| 3 | Lambeth | London | 2,198 | 61.4% | 84.8% | 8.8% | -2.7pp |
| 4 | Richmond upon Thames | London | 2,021 | 62.2% | 84.5% | 7.0% | -2.7pp |
| 5 | Lewisham | London | 2,828 | 63.5% | 84.9% | 8.6% | -0.4pp |
| 6 | Hammersmith and Fulham | London | 1,109 | 64.5% | 86.8% | 8.0% | +0.7pp |
| – | City of London | London | 23 | 65.2% | 91.3% | 4.3% | -0.4pp |
| 7 | Harrow | London | 2,840 | 65.6% | 85.1% | 8.6% | -0.0pp |
| 8 | Westminster | London | 901 | 65.8% | 88.1% | 7.3% | -1.1pp |
| 9 | Islington | London | 1,593 | 66.2% | 91.0% | 5.5% | -2.4pp |
| 10 | Bromley | London | 3,651 | 66.3% | 85.1% | 7.0% | -1.0pp |
| 11 | Kensington and Chelsea | London | 602 | 66.8% | 87.9% | 7.3% | +0.1pp |
| 12 | Hillingdon | London | 3,520 | 67.2% | 87.1% | 6.2% | +0.0pp |
| 13 | Merton | London | 1,982 | 67.4% | 89.6% | 4.6% | -1.6pp |
| 14 | Liverpool | North West | 5,379 | 68.1% | 86.1% | 10.4% | -0.0pp |
| 15 | Bexley | London | 2,992 | 68.1% | 88.3% | 4.7% | -2.5pp |
| 16 | Redbridge | London | 3,422 | 68.4% | 88.5% | 6.7% | +0.8pp |
| 17 | Slough | South East | 2,239 | 68.7% | 89.4% | 5.1% | -0.2pp |
| 18 | Hounslow | London | 3,156 | 68.9% | 90.2% | 4.4% | -2.4pp |
| 19 | Kingston upon Thames | London | 1,895 | 69.3% | 91.2% | 4.2% | -4.2pp |
| 20 | Sutton | London | 2,870 | 69.5% | 89.1% | 4.3% | -2.5pp |
| 21 | Brent | London | 3,253 | 70.4% | 89.2% | 6.9% | -2.8pp |
| 22 | Croydon | London | 4,184 | 71.2% | 91.0% | 4.7% | +0.3pp |
| 23 | Southwark | London | 2,489 | 72.1% | 91.6% | 4.1% | +0.3pp |
| 24 | Barnet | London | 3,998 | 72.7% | 89.2% | 6.8% | +0.3pp |
| 25 | Ealing | London | 3,627 | 73.0% | 88.8% | 6.3% | -1.3pp |
| 26 | Reading | South East | 1,794 | 73.1% | 93.3% | 4.6% | -4.2pp |
| 27 | Camden | London | 1,261 | 73.7% | 89.9% | 6.7% | -1.7pp |
| 28 | Newham | London | 3,682 | 74.5% | 96.0% | 2.5% | +3.9pp |
| 29 | Hackney | London | 2,029 | 74.6% | 93.2% | 4.2% | -2.6pp |
| 30 | Havering | London | 3,279 | 74.7% | 92.8% | 4.1% | -1.7pp |
| 31 | Thurrock | East of England | 2,478 | 74.8% | 89.1% | 7.3% | -1.3pp |
| 32 | Wolverhampton | West Midlands | 3,467 | 74.8% | 90.8% | 6.3% | +3.8pp |
| 33 | Oldham | North West | 3,190 | 75.2% | 94.5% | 4.6% | -0.8pp |
| 34 | Windsor and Maidenhead | South East | 1,198 | 75.5% | 92.5% | 3.4% | -6.9pp |
| 35 | Birmingham | West Midlands | 14,483 | 75.7% | 93.1% | 2.6% | +2.1pp |
| 36 | West Northamptonshire | East Midlands | 4,602 | 75.8% | 94.6% | 4.3% | -1.4pp |
| 37 | Telford and Wrekin | West Midlands | 2,281 | 76.1% | 89.7% | 9.6% | +1.5pp |
| 38 | Buckinghamshire | South East | 6,535 | 76.7% | 90.7% | 6.1% | -0.5pp |
| 39 | Haringey | London | 2,285 | 76.8% | 94.4% | 3.1% | -2.0pp |
| 40 | Enfield | London | 3,975 | 77.0% | 93.8% | 3.0% | -0.7pp |
| 41 | Manchester | North West | 6,542 | 77.1% | 93.1% | 5.3% | +2.7pp |
| 42 | Walsall | West Midlands | 3,782 | 77.4% | 91.4% | 6.0% | +1.5pp |
| 43 | Hertfordshire | East of England | 13,456 | 77.5% | 92.4% | 5.1% | +1.7pp |
| 44 | Knowsley | North West | 1,828 | 78.1% | 93.5% | 6.5% | -6.1pp |
| 45 | Bradford | Yorkshire and the Humber | 7,489 | 78.1% | 91.4% | 5.6% | +0.7pp |
| 46 | Southend-on-Sea | East of England | 2,060 | 78.3% | 95.1% | 2.6% | -3.5pp |
| 47 | Kent | South East | 18,644 | 78.9% | 94.8% | 3.8% | -1.7pp |
| 48 | Blackburn with Darwen | North West | 2,116 | 78.9% | 94.1% | 5.9% | -3.1pp |
| 49 | Newcastle upon Tyne | North East | 2,594 | 79.0% | 91.4% | 6.6% | -0.7pp |
| 50 | Tower Hamlets | London | 2,716 | 79.1% | 94.7% | 3.4% | +4.3pp |
| 51 | Waltham Forest | London | 2,724 | 79.5% | 94.5% | 3.7% | -5.0pp |
| 52 | Solihull | West Midlands | 2,632 | 79.7% | 93.6% | 2.9% | +1.4pp |
| 53 | Torbay | South West | 1,279 | 79.7% | 92.9% | 7.1% | +0.3pp |
| 54 | Stockport | North West | 3,368 | 79.9% | 91.6% | 5.8% | +3.7pp |
| 55 | Nottingham | East Midlands | 3,688 | 80.3% | 92.4% | 5.9% | +1.0pp |
| 56 | Medway | South East | 3,586 | 80.4% | 93.9% | 3.2% | +0.7pp |
| 57 | Sandwell | West Midlands | 4,404 | 80.8% | 94.1% | 4.2% | -0.2pp |
| 58 | Trafford | North West | 3,221 | 81.0% | 95.7% | 1.6% | +2.5pp |
| 59 | Surrey | South East | 11,986 | 81.3% | 94.1% | 3.8% | +0.7pp |
| 60 | Derby | East Midlands | 3,099 | 81.7% | 94.5% | 4.3% | -2.3pp |
| 61 | Barking and Dagenham | London | 3,094 | 81.9% | 94.4% | 3.6% | -5.1pp |
| 62 | Coventry | West Midlands | 4,348 | 82.1% | 94.6% | 5.4% | -0.8pp |
| 63 | Milton Keynes | South East | 3,768 | 82.2% | 94.7% | 3.1% | -0.5pp |
| 64 | Warwickshire | West Midlands | 6,716 | 82.3% | 95.2% | 2.8% | +1.1pp |
| 65 | Wokingham | South East | 2,318 | 82.4% | 96.3% | 2.1% | +0.8pp |
| 66 | Bracknell Forest | South East | 1,337 | 82.7% | 95.0% | 5.0% | -1.6pp |
| 67 | Luton | East of England | 2,972 | 82.8% | 95.5% | 4.5% | +0.4pp |
| 68 | Peterborough | East of England | 2,762 | 82.9% | 96.6% | 3.4% | +2.1pp |
| 69 | Brighton and Hove | South East | 2,154 | 82.9% | 97.4% | 1.7% | +3.4pp |
| 70 | Leeds | Yorkshire and the Humber | 9,313 | 83.2% | 93.6% | 4.6% | -0.7pp |
| 71 | Isle of Wight | South East | 1,221 | 83.4% | 94.3% | 5.7% | -2.1pp |
| 72 | Portsmouth | South East | 2,140 | 83.4% | 95.0% | 3.9% | +7.7pp |
| 73 | Essex | East of England | 16,568 | 83.4% | 94.9% | 3.0% | -0.4pp |
| 74 | Southampton | South East | 2,668 | 83.4% | 93.4% | 6.6% | +0.5pp |
| 75 | Leicester | East Midlands | 4,613 | 83.9% | 94.5% | 5.1% | +1.7pp |
| 76 | Bristol, City of | South West | 4,426 | 84.0% | 96.7% | 3.3% | +1.9pp |
| 77 | Middlesbrough | North East | 1,913 | 84.3% | 95.5% | 3.7% | -1.2pp |
| 78 | North Tyneside | North East | 1,685 | 84.3% | 94.4% | 5.6% | -1.4pp |
| 79 | Lincolnshire | East Midlands | 7,828 | 84.7% | 96.4% | 3.6% | -1.3pp |
| 80 | Blackpool | North West | 1,503 | 84.9% | 94.7% | 5.3% | +2.1pp |
| 81 | Kingston upon Hull, City of | Yorkshire and the Humber | 3,093 | 84.9% | 95.2% | 4.8% | -1.9pp |
| 82 | North Northamptonshire | East Midlands | 4,186 | 85.2% | 96.4% | 3.6% | +2.3pp |
| 83 | Oxfordshire | South East | 6,814 | 85.4% | 95.6% | 3.7% | -2.1pp |
| 84 | Salford | North West | 2,789 | 85.9% | 95.9% | 3.6% | +2.7pp |
| 85 | East Sussex | South East | 4,990 | 86.3% | 95.9% | 4.1% | +0.2pp |
| 86 | Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole | South West | 3,624 | 86.4% | 96.1% | 3.1% | +0.5pp |
| 87 | Tameside | North West | 2,719 | 86.7% | 95.5% | 3.7% | +2.1pp |
| 88 | Gloucestershire | South West | 6,517 | 86.8% | 95.9% | 3.0% | +2.2pp |
| 89 | Rochdale | North West | 2,860 | 86.8% | 96.5% | 3.0% | +1.1pp |
| 90 | Bolton | North West | 3,868 | 87.1% | 96.8% | 3.2% | +4.5pp |
| 91 | Dudley | West Midlands | 3,570 | 87.1% | 97.4% | 2.0% | +3.2pp |
| 92 | Lancashire | North West | 13,782 | 87.1% | 97.2% | 2.8% | +0.8pp |
| 93 | Gateshead | North East | 1,850 | 87.1% | 97.7% | 2.3% | +0.9pp |
| 94 | West Sussex | South East | 8,765 | 87.5% | 97.6% | 2.4% | -0.2pp |
| 95 | Worcestershire | West Midlands | 3,828 | 88.1% | 95.7% | 4.3% | -0.3pp |
| 96 | Cambridgeshire | East of England | 6,755 | 88.3% | 96.6% | 3.4% | +0.1pp |
| 97 | Bath and North East Somerset | South West | 1,769 | 88.4% | 96.9% | 2.9% | -4.0pp |
| 98 | Stoke-on-Trent | West Midlands | 3,223 | 88.5% | 96.5% | 3.0% | +2.0pp |
| 99 | Sheffield | Yorkshire and the Humber | 6,416 | 88.7% | 96.6% | 3.4% | -0.1pp |
| 100 | Warrington | North West | 2,620 | 88.9% | 98.2% | 1.8% | -2.7pp |
| 101 | Sefton | North West | 2,791 | 89.0% | 97.3% | 2.7% | +4.0pp |
| 102 | Kirklees | Yorkshire and the Humber | 4,787 | 89.2% | 97.8% | 2.2% | -0.7pp |
| 103 | South Tyneside | North East | 1,548 | 89.2% | 96.9% | 3.1% | -0.6pp |
| 104 | South Gloucestershire | South West | 3,164 | 89.4% | 98.3% | 1.7% | -0.6pp |
| 105 | Doncaster | Yorkshire and the Humber | 3,506 | 89.9% | 97.4% | 2.6% | +0.1pp |
| 106 | Hampshire | South East | 13,874 | 90.1% | 97.6% | 2.4% | -0.8pp |
| 107 | Leicestershire | East Midlands | 7,490 | 90.2% | 97.7% | 1.9% | -1.8pp |
| 108 | Swindon | South West | 2,914 | 90.5% | 97.9% | 2.1% | +3.5pp |
| 109 | Bedford | East of England | 2,095 | 90.6% | 98.9% | 0.9% | +6.6pp |
| 110 | Bury | North West | 2,233 | 90.7% | 98.2% | 1.8% | +0.9pp |
| 111 | Wakefield | Yorkshire and the Humber | 3,912 | 90.7% | 97.3% | 2.7% | -0.3pp |
| 112 | Barnsley | Yorkshire and the Humber | 2,653 | 91.0% | 98.2% | 1.8% | +2.3pp |
| 113 | Central Bedfordshire | East of England | 1,502 | 91.0% | 95.9% | 4.1% | -3.6pp |
| 114 | Shropshire | West Midlands | 2,845 | 91.0% | 98.3% | 1.3% | -0.1pp |
| 115 | Wigan | North West | 3,718 | 91.1% | 97.6% | 2.4% | +2.7pp |
| 116 | Calderdale | Yorkshire and the Humber | 2,231 | 91.2% | 98.7% | 0.9% | +1.0pp |
| 117 | Darlington | North East | 1,134 | 91.5% | 98.7% | 1.3% | -0.3pp |
| 118 | Plymouth | South West | 2,761 | 91.7% | 98.9% | 1.1% | +2.2pp |
| 119 | North Yorkshire | Yorkshire and the Humber | 5,586 | 91.9% | 98.7% | 1.2% | -0.8pp |
| 120 | Staffordshire | West Midlands | 7,681 | 91.9% | 98.4% | 1.5% | +0.3pp |
| 121 | Herefordshire, County of | West Midlands | 1,685 | 91.9% | 98.2% | 1.8% | -0.5pp |
| 122 | North East Lincolnshire | Yorkshire and the Humber | 1,851 | 92.0% | 96.9% | 3.1% | -4.1pp |
| 123 | Somerset | South West | 4,659 | 92.1% | 97.7% | 2.3% | +0.1pp |
| 124 | Rotherham | Yorkshire and the Humber | 2,933 | 92.4% | 97.3% | 2.7% | +1.4pp |
| 125 | Nottinghamshire | East Midlands | 9,200 | 92.5% | 98.1% | 1.5% | +1.4pp |
| 126 | Suffolk | East of England | 7,204 | 92.7% | 97.7% | 2.3% | +0.7pp |
| 127 | Hartlepool | North East | 1,061 | 92.7% | 98.5% | 1.5% | +3.0pp |
| 128 | Sunderland | North East | 2,921 | 92.9% | 97.9% | 2.1% | -2.2pp |
| 129 | Redcar and Cleveland | North East | 1,452 | 93.0% | 97.5% | 2.5% | -0.3pp |
| – | Rutland | East Midlands | 331 | 93.1% | 99.1% | 0.9% | -1.3pp |
| 130 | Cheshire East | North West | 4,072 | 93.1% | 98.2% | 1.8% | -1.6pp |
| 131 | Devon | South West | 7,251 | 93.3% | 98.4% | 1.6% | +0.0pp |
| 132 | St. Helens | North West | 1,849 | 93.3% | 98.4% | 1.6% | -3.6pp |
| 133 | York | Yorkshire and the Humber | 1,772 | 93.7% | 98.6% | 1.1% | +0.1pp |
| 134 | Wiltshire | South West | 4,934 | 93.9% | 98.3% | 1.7% | -0.8pp |
| 135 | Norfolk | East of England | 8,625 | 94.1% | 98.2% | 1.7% | +0.8pp |
| 136 | County Durham | North East | 4,986 | 94.2% | 98.5% | 1.5% | +0.2pp |
| 137 | Derbyshire | East Midlands | 7,971 | 94.5% | 98.5% | 1.5% | -1.0pp |
| 138 | Stockton-on-Tees | North East | 2,216 | 94.8% | 99.2% | 0.5% | -0.6pp |
| 139 | West Berkshire | South East | 1,680 | 94.9% | 98.8% | 1.0% | +6.7pp |
| 140 | Cheshire West and Chester | North West | 3,482 | 95.0% | 98.9% | 1.1% | +0.0pp |
| 141 | North Somerset | South West | 2,256 | 95.3% | 99.1% | 0.9% | +2.0pp |
| 142 | Cumberland | North West | 2,751 | 95.3% | 98.9% | 1.1% | -1.9pp |
| 143 | Wirral | North West | 3,305 | 95.3% | 99.1% | 0.9% | +0.2pp |
| 144 | Northumberland | North East | 1,819 | 96.0% | 97.6% | 2.3% | -0.1pp |
| 145 | North Lincolnshire | Yorkshire and the Humber | 1,717 | 96.2% | 98.8% | 1.2% | +0.9pp |
| 146 | Halton | North West | 1,471 | 96.2% | 99.2% | 0.8% | -0.2pp |
| 147 | Westmorland and Furness | North West | 1,903 | 96.4% | 99.5% | 0.5% | -0.3pp |
| 148 | East Riding of Yorkshire | Yorkshire and the Humber | 3,190 | 96.8% | 99.0% | 1.0% | -1.0pp |
| 149 | Cornwall | South West | 5,542 | 97.4% | 99.3% | 0.7% | +0.3pp |
| 150 | Dorset | South West | 2,105 | 97.9% | 99.0% | 1.0% | +1.8pp |
| Rank | Council | Region | Applicants | First choice | One of top three | None they named | Change on 2025/26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| – | City of London | London | 23 | 73.9% | 100.0% | 0.0% | -15.0pp |
| 1 | Hammersmith and Fulham | London | 1,186 | 74.6% | 90.5% | 5.6% | +1.2pp |
| 2 | Kensington and Chelsea | London | 582 | 75.4% | 90.7% | 6.0% | +0.6pp |
| 3 | Wandsworth | London | 2,403 | 78.5% | 91.1% | 4.9% | +1.7pp |
| 4 | Islington | London | 1,683 | 79.4% | 91.7% | 4.2% | -1.6pp |
| 5 | Lambeth | London | 2,122 | 80.6% | 94.1% | 3.5% | -2.3pp |
| 6 | Camden | London | 1,251 | 81.5% | 93.4% | 3.4% | +1.3pp |
| 7 | Westminster | London | 925 | 82.4% | 94.6% | 3.6% | -3.5pp |
| 8 | Southwark | London | 2,248 | 84.3% | 95.7% | 2.0% | -0.3pp |
| 9 | Haringey | London | 2,193 | 86.0% | 95.7% | 2.3% | +1.1pp |
| 10 | Barnet | London | 3,649 | 86.1% | 96.8% | 2.0% | +1.9pp |
| 11 | Windsor and Maidenhead | South East | 1,266 | 86.2% | 96.4% | 1.7% | +4.0pp |
| 12 | Merton | London | 2,015 | 86.4% | 95.3% | 2.2% | -0.6pp |
| 13 | Harrow | London | 2,650 | 86.6% | 96.5% | 1.7% | -1.0pp |
| 14 | Knowsley | North West | 1,953 | 86.6% | 96.3% | 3.7% | -3.7pp |
| 15 | Lewisham | London | 2,840 | 87.4% | 97.7% | 1.2% | -2.5pp |
| 16 | Wokingham | South East | 1,832 | 87.5% | 97.7% | 2.0% | -2.5pp |
| 17 | Bromley | London | 3,203 | 87.7% | 97.8% | 0.8% | -1.3pp |
| 18 | Southend-on-Sea | East of England | 1,741 | 87.8% | 97.8% | 2.2% | -2.5pp |
| 19 | Hackney | London | 1,677 | 88.1% | 97.1% | 1.6% | +3.1pp |
| 20 | Warwickshire | West Midlands | 6,281 | 88.1% | 97.5% | 1.9% | -2.5pp |
| 21 | Redbridge | London | 3,417 | 88.2% | 96.6% | 2.2% | -0.6pp |
| 22 | Brent | London | 3,128 | 88.5% | 98.1% | 1.2% | +2.6pp |
| 23 | Liverpool | North West | 4,736 | 88.6% | 97.3% | 2.7% | -1.1pp |
| 24 | Wigan | North West | 3,541 | 88.7% | 97.3% | 2.7% | -0.9pp |
| 25 | Richmond upon Thames | London | 1,663 | 88.8% | 98.1% | 1.1% | +0.2pp |
| 26 | Hertfordshire | East of England | 12,543 | 89.1% | 97.8% | 1.6% | +1.1pp |
| 27 | Bracknell Forest | South East | 1,397 | 89.1% | 96.8% | 3.2% | -0.1pp |
| 28 | Rochdale | North West | 2,831 | 89.2% | 97.3% | 2.3% | -2.5pp |
| 29 | Greenwich | London | 2,921 | 89.3% | 97.8% | 1.4% | -2.0pp |
| 30 | Blackburn with Darwen | North West | 1,926 | 89.3% | 97.9% | 2.1% | -1.7pp |
| 31 | Hounslow | London | 2,856 | 89.3% | 98.0% | 1.2% | +1.2pp |
| 32 | Bolton | North West | 3,455 | 89.5% | 96.8% | 3.2% | -0.2pp |
| 33 | Croydon | London | 4,082 | 89.6% | 98.2% | 0.8% | +2.9pp |
| 34 | Kent | South East | 16,593 | 89.7% | 98.2% | 1.8% | -0.9pp |
| 35 | Surrey | South East | 11,426 | 89.8% | 98.1% | 1.3% | +1.4pp |
| 36 | Kingston upon Thames | London | 1,457 | 90.0% | 98.8% | 0.9% | +1.8pp |
| 37 | Thurrock | East of England | 2,192 | 90.1% | 97.0% | 2.3% | -1.5pp |
| 38 | Ealing | London | 3,394 | 90.2% | 97.1% | 1.9% | +1.3pp |
| 39 | Central Bedfordshire | East of England | 3,678 | 90.3% | 97.7% | 2.3% | +0.2pp |
| 40 | St. Helens | North West | 1,809 | 90.3% | 97.7% | 2.3% | -3.6pp |
| 41 | Essex | East of England | 15,737 | 90.3% | 97.6% | 1.8% | +0.0pp |
| 42 | Waltham Forest | London | 3,040 | 90.6% | 97.8% | 1.2% | +0.4pp |
| 43 | West Berkshire | South East | 1,547 | 90.8% | 98.1% | 1.7% | -3.0pp |
| 44 | Reading | South East | 1,844 | 91.1% | 98.6% | 1.0% | -3.2pp |
| 45 | Salford | North West | 2,753 | 91.1% | 97.6% | 2.2% | +1.8pp |
| 46 | East Sussex | South East | 4,559 | 91.1% | 97.7% | 2.3% | -0.1pp |
| 47 | Newham | London | 3,960 | 91.3% | 98.2% | 1.4% | +0.4pp |
| 48 | Lancashire | North West | 12,122 | 91.3% | 98.3% | 1.7% | -1.7pp |
| 49 | Telford and Wrekin | West Midlands | 2,124 | 91.3% | 97.9% | 1.9% | -1.8pp |
| 50 | Slough | South East | 1,918 | 91.3% | 98.3% | 1.7% | -0.5pp |
| 51 | Sefton | North West | 2,586 | 91.4% | 98.6% | 1.4% | -1.4pp |
| 52 | Bexley | London | 2,637 | 91.4% | 97.8% | 1.6% | -0.9pp |
| 53 | Bury | North West | 1,901 | 91.4% | 98.1% | 1.9% | -3.6pp |
| 54 | Havering | London | 3,066 | 91.5% | 97.6% | 1.4% | +1.6pp |
| 55 | Buckinghamshire | South East | 5,630 | 91.6% | 98.2% | 1.4% | +1.7pp |
| 56 | Gloucestershire | South West | 6,016 | 91.6% | 97.8% | 1.9% | -0.3pp |
| 57 | North Tyneside | North East | 2,025 | 91.7% | 96.2% | 3.8% | -0.8pp |
| 58 | Solihull | West Midlands | 2,090 | 91.7% | 98.8% | 1.0% | -0.9pp |
| 59 | Warrington | North West | 2,024 | 91.9% | 98.3% | 1.7% | -4.1pp |
| 60 | Oldham | North West | 2,814 | 92.0% | 98.2% | 1.6% | -1.5pp |
| 61 | Dudley | West Midlands | 3,314 | 92.0% | 98.2% | 1.5% | -0.3pp |
| 62 | Bristol, City of | South West | 4,287 | 92.0% | 99.1% | 0.9% | -1.3pp |
| 63 | Birmingham | West Midlands | 12,117 | 92.1% | 99.0% | 1.0% | -0.3pp |
| 64 | Sutton | London | 2,159 | 92.1% | 99.2% | 0.3% | +0.5pp |
| 65 | Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole | South West | 3,148 | 92.2% | 99.0% | 0.7% | +3.2pp |
| 66 | Bradford | Yorkshire and the Humber | 6,301 | 92.3% | 98.1% | 1.4% | -3.0pp |
| 67 | Cheshire East | North West | 3,733 | 92.3% | 98.6% | 1.4% | -1.3pp |
| 68 | Cheshire West and Chester | North West | 3,274 | 92.3% | 98.5% | 1.5% | -0.1pp |
| 69 | West Sussex | South East | 8,127 | 92.4% | 99.2% | 0.8% | +0.7pp |
| 70 | Leeds | Yorkshire and the Humber | 8,039 | 92.4% | 98.5% | 1.0% | -0.7pp |
| 71 | Tower Hamlets | London | 2,713 | 92.6% | 97.8% | 1.8% | +0.3pp |
| 72 | Luton | East of England | 2,863 | 92.6% | 98.9% | 1.1% | +4.3pp |
| 73 | Darlington | North East | 1,075 | 92.7% | 98.6% | 1.2% | -3.7pp |
| 74 | Newcastle upon Tyne | North East | 2,886 | 92.7% | 98.2% | 1.4% | +0.1pp |
| 75 | South Gloucestershire | South West | 3,033 | 92.8% | 98.3% | 1.7% | +1.8pp |
| 76 | Portsmouth | South East | 1,887 | 93.0% | 98.6% | 1.3% | +1.1pp |
| 77 | Wolverhampton | West Midlands | 3,213 | 93.2% | 98.5% | 1.3% | +0.8pp |
| 78 | Southampton | South East | 2,122 | 93.3% | 99.1% | 0.9% | +0.4pp |
| 79 | Bedford | East of England | 1,990 | 93.4% | 98.4% | 1.4% | -0.2pp |
| 80 | Hampshire | South East | 12,982 | 93.4% | 98.9% | 1.1% | +1.2pp |
| 81 | Halton | North West | 1,158 | 93.4% | 98.7% | 1.3% | -2.7pp |
| 82 | Plymouth | South West | 2,294 | 93.5% | 98.4% | 1.6% | -3.3pp |
| 83 | Kirklees | Yorkshire and the Humber | 4,554 | 93.8% | 99.3% | 0.7% | +0.2pp |
| 84 | Enfield | London | 3,263 | 93.8% | 99.1% | 0.7% | -1.4pp |
| 85 | Brighton and Hove | South East | 1,936 | 93.8% | 99.4% | 0.6% | +2.6pp |
| 86 | Walsall | West Midlands | 3,340 | 93.8% | 98.3% | 1.7% | -1.6pp |
| 87 | Medway | South East | 3,130 | 93.9% | 98.8% | 0.9% | -1.8pp |
| 88 | Dorset | South West | 2,795 | 93.9% | 99.0% | 1.0% | -0.2pp |
| 89 | Blackpool | North West | 1,300 | 93.9% | 98.7% | 1.2% | +0.4pp |
| 90 | North Northamptonshire | East Midlands | 3,751 | 93.9% | 98.9% | 1.1% | +1.4pp |
| 91 | Leicestershire | East Midlands | 6,827 | 94.0% | 99.1% | 0.7% | -1.4pp |
| 92 | Worcestershire | West Midlands | 5,492 | 94.0% | 99.0% | 1.0% | -0.4pp |
| 93 | Oxfordshire | South East | 6,903 | 94.0% | 99.1% | 0.7% | +0.0pp |
| 94 | Sandwell | West Midlands | 3,985 | 94.1% | 98.5% | 1.4% | +0.3pp |
| 95 | Stockport | North West | 2,886 | 94.1% | 98.8% | 0.7% | -0.3pp |
| 96 | York | Yorkshire and the Humber | 1,553 | 94.1% | 99.0% | 0.8% | -1.7pp |
| 97 | Bath and North East Somerset | South West | 1,625 | 94.1% | 98.8% | 1.2% | -1.4pp |
| 98 | Torbay | South West | 1,000 | 94.2% | 98.9% | 1.1% | -1.4pp |
| 99 | Rotherham | Yorkshire and the Humber | 2,863 | 94.3% | 98.5% | 1.5% | -2.0pp |
| 100 | Norfolk | East of England | 7,482 | 94.4% | 98.5% | 1.3% | -1.4pp |
| 101 | Derby | East Midlands | 2,643 | 94.4% | 99.1% | 0.9% | +2.1pp |
| 102 | Wakefield | Yorkshire and the Humber | 3,654 | 94.4% | 99.0% | 0.9% | +3.1pp |
| 103 | Stoke-on-Trent | West Midlands | 2,953 | 94.4% | 97.2% | 2.8% | -0.8pp |
| – | Rutland | East Midlands | 271 | 94.5% | 100.0% | 0.0% | -5.5pp |
| 104 | Trafford | North West | 2,238 | 94.5% | 99.2% | 0.4% | -0.6pp |
| 105 | Isle of Wight | South East | 931 | 94.5% | 98.8% | 1.2% | +2.9pp |
| 106 | Derbyshire | East Midlands | 7,189 | 94.5% | 99.2% | 0.8% | -1.9pp |
| 107 | Hillingdon | London | 3,222 | 94.6% | 98.9% | 0.7% | +3.0pp |
| 108 | West Northamptonshire | East Midlands | 4,335 | 94.6% | 99.4% | 0.5% | +0.2pp |
| 109 | Cambridgeshire | East of England | 6,292 | 94.7% | 99.0% | 1.0% | +0.3pp |
| 110 | Peterborough | East of England | 2,365 | 94.8% | 98.9% | 1.1% | -1.4pp |
| 111 | Suffolk | East of England | 6,492 | 94.9% | 99.1% | 0.9% | -1.4pp |
| 112 | Nottingham | East Midlands | 2,934 | 94.9% | 98.9% | 1.1% | -0.3pp |
| 113 | Coventry | West Midlands | 3,754 | 94.9% | 99.2% | 0.8% | +1.2pp |
| 114 | Sunderland | North East | 2,737 | 95.0% | 98.2% | 1.8% | -0.4pp |
| 115 | Milton Keynes | South East | 3,155 | 95.0% | 99.3% | 0.6% | +1.9pp |
| 116 | East Riding of Yorkshire | Yorkshire and the Humber | 2,819 | 95.0% | 98.7% | 1.3% | -1.3pp |
| 117 | Manchester | North West | 5,736 | 95.0% | 99.0% | 0.9% | -2.4pp |
| 118 | Somerset | South West | 4,928 | 95.0% | 99.0% | 1.0% | -0.2pp |
| 119 | Staffordshire | West Midlands | 8,344 | 95.1% | 99.1% | 0.9% | -0.5pp |
| 120 | Sheffield | Yorkshire and the Humber | 5,415 | 95.1% | 98.9% | 1.1% | -1.7pp |
| 121 | Kingston upon Hull, City of | Yorkshire and the Humber | 2,583 | 95.2% | 98.7% | 1.3% | -1.9pp |
| 122 | Wirral | North West | 3,017 | 95.3% | 98.9% | 1.1% | -0.7pp |
| 123 | Barking and Dagenham | London | 2,970 | 95.3% | 99.1% | 0.7% | -0.9pp |
| 124 | Tameside | North West | 2,451 | 95.4% | 98.7% | 1.2% | -0.0pp |
| 125 | Wiltshire | South West | 4,455 | 95.6% | 99.1% | 0.9% | +0.3pp |
| 126 | North Yorkshire | Yorkshire and the Humber | 5,052 | 95.6% | 98.7% | 1.2% | +1.2pp |
| 127 | Swindon | South West | 2,416 | 95.6% | 99.4% | 0.6% | -0.8pp |
| 128 | Barnsley | Yorkshire and the Humber | 2,423 | 95.7% | 99.2% | 0.8% | -0.6pp |
| 129 | Cornwall | South West | 4,732 | 95.9% | 99.6% | 0.4% | +0.2pp |
| 130 | Westmorland and Furness | North West | 1,692 | 96.1% | 99.4% | 0.6% | -1.8pp |
| 131 | Middlesbrough | North East | 1,593 | 96.3% | 99.4% | 0.6% | -0.8pp |
| 132 | Herefordshire, County of | West Midlands | 1,553 | 96.3% | 99.0% | 1.0% | -0.5pp |
| 133 | Lincolnshire | East Midlands | 6,453 | 96.3% | 99.7% | 0.3% | +0.6pp |
| 134 | Devon | South West | 6,494 | 96.5% | 99.1% | 0.9% | +0.3pp |
| 135 | Doncaster | Yorkshire and the Humber | 3,089 | 96.5% | 98.8% | 1.2% | -0.6pp |
| 136 | Calderdale | Yorkshire and the Humber | 1,863 | 96.6% | 99.4% | 0.6% | +1.0pp |
| 137 | North Lincolnshire | Yorkshire and the Humber | 1,566 | 96.7% | 99.3% | 0.6% | -0.6pp |
| 138 | Northumberland | North East | 2,569 | 96.8% | 98.6% | 1.4% | +0.2pp |
| 139 | North Somerset | South West | 1,984 | 96.8% | 99.3% | 0.7% | +0.7pp |
| 140 | Leicester | East Midlands | 3,626 | 96.8% | 99.3% | 0.7% | +0.7pp |
| 141 | South Tyneside | North East | 1,375 | 96.9% | 99.1% | 0.9% | +4.1pp |
| 142 | Redcar and Cleveland | North East | 1,345 | 97.0% | 98.0% | 2.0% | -1.4pp |
| 143 | County Durham | North East | 4,409 | 97.3% | 99.4% | 0.6% | +0.9pp |
| 144 | North East Lincolnshire | Yorkshire and the Humber | 1,358 | 97.4% | 99.6% | 0.4% | -2.6pp |
| 145 | Shropshire | West Midlands | 2,582 | 97.4% | 99.8% | 0.2% | +1.9pp |
| 146 | Stockton-on-Tees | North East | 1,901 | 97.7% | 99.5% | 0.5% | -0.1pp |
| 147 | Gateshead | North East | 1,785 | 98.1% | 99.8% | 0.2% | +1.2pp |
| 148 | Cumberland | North West | 2,352 | 98.2% | 99.7% | 0.3% | -0.3pp |
| 149 | Hartlepool | North East | 979 | 98.3% | 99.6% | 0.4% | +0.6pp |
| 150 | Nottinghamshire | East Midlands | 7,912 | 99.1% | 99.7% | 0.3% | +3.3pp |
Method, and what it does not cover
These are the Department for Education's council-level applications and offers figures. They count every family under the council it lives in, whichever council's schools it applied to. That is the figure councils and the DfE quote. It differs from adding up the applications to the schools inside a council, which counts families from neighbouring councils too; in London the two can differ by more than ten points.
Scope. The figures are a snapshot of offers made on National Offer Day, before waiting lists, late applications and appeals move anything. England only: Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland run different systems. Councils allow different numbers of preferences, from three to six, which changes how families use their first choice. And "first choice" is what a family wrote down, not what it wanted: where places are tight, many families put down a school they expect to get rather than the one they would prefer, which makes a hard area look easier than it is.
How this was calculated. Department for Education applications-and-offers statistics at local authority level, which count each family under the council it lives in, for every council in England, September 2026 entry and the year before. Figures generated 5 November 2026. Primary source: DfE — Secondary and primary school applications and offers. Every figure on this page, and the sample it rests on, is published as machine-readable data — so the numbers can be checked, reused or disagreed with rather than taken on trust.