Academic year 2025/26

Primary and secondary school applications and offers

Preference data including applications and offers made for secondary and primary school entry each September, and the proportion which received preferred offers

Release type
Published
Last updated
2 updatesfor Academic year 2025/26

Get help by contacting us

If you have a specific enquiry about Primary and secondary school applications and offers statistics and data:

School census statistics team

Email: school.preference@education.gov.uk
Contact name: Ann Claytor

Press office

If you have a media enquiry:

Telephone: 020 7783 8300

Public enquiries

If you have a general enquiry about the Department for Education (DfE) or education:

Phone: 0370 000 2288

Opening times

Monday to Friday from 9.30am to 5.30pm (closed on bank holidays)


Official statistics

These are Official Statistics and have been produced in line with the Code of Practice for Official Statistics (opens in new tab).

This can be broadly interpreted to mean that these statistics are:

  • managed impartially and objectively in the public interest
  • meet identified user needs
  • produced according to sound methods
  • well explained and readily accessible

Find out more about the standards we follow to produce these statistics through our Standards for official statistics published by DfE guidance (opens in new tab).

Our statistical practice is regulated by the Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR).

OSR sets the standards of trustworthiness, quality and value in the Code of Practice for Statistics (opens in new tab) that all producers of official statistics should adhere to.

You are welcome to contact us directly with any comments about how we meet these standards. Alternatively, you can contact OSR by emailing regulation@statistics.gov.uk or via the OSR website (opens in new tab).


Pre-release access list

Besides Department for Education (DfE) professional and production staff, the following post holders were given pre-release access up to 24 hours before release.

  • Special Adviser x 3
  • Director of Analysis and Head of Profession for Statistics
  • Head of Profession for Statistics and Deputy Director, Data Insight & Statistics Division
  • Deputy Head of Profession for Statistics
  • Director General, Schools Group
  • Director, Schools Group
  • Deputy Director, School Organisation and Transport Division
  • Head of School Admissions Unit, School Organisation and Transport Division
  • Team leader, School Admissions Unit, School Organisation and Transport Division
  • Team Leader, Basic Need Capital Funding, Central Capital Unit
  • Policy officer, School Places Capital Team
  • Strategy adviser, Schools Strategy Unit, School Strategy, Academies and Support division
  • Head of Independent Education Unit Complex Casework and Unregistered Schools. 
  • Policy adviser, Private School Tax Impact team
  • Analyst, Private School Tax Impact team
  • Deputy Director, Press Office
  • Chief Media Officer
  • Media Officer x 2