Case study · Parents · England
Case study: where school places are most contested in England
Applications per place for every state school, by council area, for 2026/27 entry: the most competitive areas for secondary and primary places.
By the Pyxion Learn team · Checked 31 October 2026 · Analysis of published figures
How hard is it to get a place? Applications per place is the clearest single measure: the number of times a school was named on application forms, divided by its places. We calculated the median for the state schools in every council area in England for September 2026 entry.
Secondary schools
The council areas with the most applications per place (median state secondary, areas with at least five schools):
- Windsor and Maidenhead: 4.6
- Sutton: 4.5
- Richmond upon Thames: 4.3
- Birmingham: 4.2
- Bromley: 3.7
The median council area had 2.2 applications per place, and that national figure has held steady at 2.2 for four years running (2023/24 to 2026/27 entry).
Primary schools
For Reception places (areas with at least ten primary schools):
- Bromley: 3.4
- Hammersmith and Fulham: 3.4
- Windsor and Maidenhead: 3.3
- Brighton and Hove: 3.2
- Lewisham: 3.2
The median council area: 2.2.
Reading the numbers
- Every preference counts. A family naming six schools counts at all six, so the figure is higher where councils allow more preferences, as in London.
- Grammar schools pull the figure up. Sutton, Birmingham and Bromley include highly selective grammar schools that draw applicants from far outside the area.
- The median hides the extremes. Within any area, some schools are far more contested than others. That is why you need the figures school by school, around your own postcode.
See every school near you · How admissions work
Analysis of published admissions figures for September 2026 entry: state schools only; medians by council area.