SchoolsGPT

Secondary school offers in Doncaster: offer day 2027

National Offer Day Monday 1 March 2027 · 19 secondary schools · first-choice odds, waiting lists and appeals

How likely is a first choice here?

For September 2026 entry, 89.9% of families living in Doncaster were offered their first-choice secondary school, against 83.6% across England. 92 families (2.6%) were offered none of the schools they named. Doncaster ranks 105 of 150 councils in England, hardest first (see every council).

5 of its 19 secondary schools had more first-choice applications than places.

The most sought-after, by first-choice applications per place offered: XP School (2.5 per place), Hall Cross Academy (1.4 per place), Hungerhill School (1.3 per place), XP East (1.2 per place), Ridgewood School (1.0 per place).

If you didn't get your first choice

  1. Accept the place you were offered by the date in your offer letter. Accepting it does not affect a waiting list or an appeal, and a place that isn't accepted can be withdrawn.
  2. Get on the waiting lists you want. Every school must keep one until at least 31 December of the year your child starts. It is ranked by the school's admission rules, not by when you joined, so a family moving closer can go above you. Some councils add you automatically for schools you ranked higher than the one offered; your offer letter says which.
  3. Decide whether to appeal. You can appeal for every school that refused your child. You get at least 20 school days from the offer to lodge it, and on-time appeals must be heard within 40 school days of that deadline. The figures below show how often appeals succeed here.
  4. Look at schools that took lower preferences. These are the likeliest to have room now.

Schools that took children who ranked them lower

For September 2026 entry these 14 schools offered more places than they had first-choice applications, so some went to families who put them second or lower. They are the likeliest to have room after offer day; ask Doncaster or the school.

Every secondary school: demand for 2026 entry

Sorted by first-choice applications per place, the most contested first.

SchoolPlaces offeredFirst choices per place First choices offered
XP School
Doncaster
50 2.5 31%
Hall Cross Academy
Doncaster
301 1.4 71%
Hungerhill School
Doncaster
242 1.3 76%
XP East
Doncaster
49 1.2 43%
Ridgewood School
Doncaster
231 1.0 94%
De Warenne Academy
Doncaster
148 1.0 100%
Outwood Academy Adwick
Doncaster
174 1.0 100%
Campsmount Academy
Doncaster
154 1.0 100%
Rossington All Saints Academy
Doncaster
134 1.0 100%
Sir Thomas Wharton Academy
Doncaster
257 1.0 96%
The Hayfield School
Doncaster
236 0.9 100%
Trinity Academy
Doncaster
205 0.9 100%
The Laurel Academy
Mexborough
170 0.9 100%
Don Valley Academy
Doncaster
222 0.9 100%
Ash Hill Academy
DONCASTER
173 0.9 100%
The McAuley Catholic High School
Doncaster
199 0.8 100%
Armthorpe Academy
Doncaster
148 0.8 100%
Astrea Academy Woodfields
Doncaster
134 0.7 100%
Outwood Academy Danum
Doncaster
199 0.6 99%

Places offered is the number of offers made on national offer day, and first choices offered the share of families who put the school first and got it (Department for Education, September 2026 entry).

Appeals in Doncaster

YearAppeals lodgedHeard by a panel UpheldShare of heard appeals upheld
2025/26208 154 22 14.3%
2024/25307 212 44 20.8%
2023/24256 187 71 38.0%

Secondary school appeals across all of Doncaster, from the Department for Education. Appeals are not published school by school. Across England in 2025/26, 19.5% of 27,084 secondary appeals heard were upheld. How appeal odds differ between councils.

More for Doncaster

Have a specific question about admissions, scores or dates?

Ask SchoolsGPT