School level file updated to correct a misalignment in the historical data rows.
These statistics provide the number of applications and offers made for primary and secondary school entry in September 2025, and the proportion which received preferred offers.
The data is collected from local authorities. The offers were made, and data collected, based on the national offer days of 3 March 2025 (secondary) and 16 April 2025 (primary).
Figures are provided at national, regional and local authority level. A time series is provided from 2014, when primary data was first collected following the inaugural primary national offer day.
92.6%
Down from 93.2% in 2024
Proportion of all primary school applicants who were made an offer of their first preference school
83.5%
Up from 82.9% in 2024
Proportion of all secondary school applicants who were made an offer of their first preference school.
98.6%
Down from 98.8% in 2024
Proportion of all primary school applicants who were made an offer of any of their ranked preference schools
96.3%
Up from 96.0% in 2024
Proportion of all secondary school applicants who were made an offer of any of their ranked preference schools.
The proportion of applicants at both primary and secondary stage who receive an offer of their first preference school, or one of their preferred schools, varies very little year on year. For entry in September 2025, secondary applicants were slightly more and primary applicants slightly less likely than in 2024 to be offered their first preference or one of their preferred schools.
Primary school applicants continue to be more likely to be offered their first preference school than secondary applicants (92.6% and 83.5% respectively). Primary and secondary applicants are both very likely to be offered one of their preferred schools (98.6% and 96.3% respectively).
The offer rates should be considered in the context of continuing changes in the volume of primary and secondary applications. Primary applications continued to fall, by almost 1% since 2024, and the number of places local authorities made available also fell, by 1.3%. Secondary applications also fell, by almost 2% since 2024, as did places, by almost 0.5%.
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Data from the application and offer collections from 2014 to date, produced at school level and giving the number of preferences expressed for each school, by rank, and the number of offers, also by rank, as well as contextual data.
The proportion of primary applicants receiving an offer of their first choice school decreased slightly from 93.2% in 2024 to 92.6% in 2025. This represented a return to 2023 levels following a series of small year on year increases in the rate since the 2020 figure of 90.2%.
The proportion of primary applicants receiving an offer of one of their top three preferred schools was 98.3%, a slight decrease from 98.6% in 2024. Again, this represented a return to 2023 levels following a series of small increases in the rate since 2020/21 when the figure was 97.3%.
Likelihood of preference being met is a function of factors such as school quality, travel patterns, demand for school places in the area, and the availability of places. Local authorities have a statutory duty to provide sufficient school places.
More information about school capacity and pupil place planning can be found in the statistical publication ‘School capacity’ - the most recently published figures for data as of May 2024 are available here: School capacity, Academic year 2023/24 - Explore education statistics - GOV.UK
Nationally, the number of pupils requiring a reception place in primary schools has been falling in recent years. The number peaked at 641,572 in 2016/17. The number of places available peaked at 713,090 in 2019.
This national picture masks regional variation, with some London local authorities in particular experiencing decreases recently in the number of pupils requiring school places.
As with secondary offers, there is substantial regional variation in primary school first preference, top three preference and preferred offer rates by region.
Primary applicants in the North East, Yorkshire and The Humber and the East Midlands were most likely to receive an offer of their top preference school in 2025 - more than 95% did so. Applicants in London were least likely - 85.0% in Inner London and 89.5% in Outer London authorities. However, as with secondary applications, those living in London typically both experience and are offered wider choice than applicants in other parts of the country. London local authorities generally allow applicants to list up to six preferred schools, compared with three in most other regions. This reflects the greater likelihood that those living in London are practically able to access a greater number of schools. This wider choice is associated with a reduced likelihood of specific preferences being met.
This pattern shows little variation over time. Since 2019, applicants in the North East have experienced the highest first preference rates, with first preference rates consistently above 94.0%. Applicants in London have experienced the lowest, being the only region with first preference rates consistently below 90.0%.
The proportion of secondary applicants receiving an offer of their first choice school increased slightly from 82.9% in 2024 to 83.5% in 2025. The figure has fluctuated slightly over recent years.
The proportion of secondary applicants receiving an offer of one of their top three preferred schools was 94.9%, a slight increase from 94.6% in 2024. This figure has also fluctuated slightly over recent years.
Likelihood of preference being met is a function of factors such as school quality, travel patterns, demand for school places in the area, and the availability of places. Local authorities have a statutory duty to provide sufficient school places.
More information about school capacity and pupil place planning can be found in the statistical publication ‘School capacity’ - the most recently published figures for data as of May 2024 are available here: School capacity, Academic year 2023/24 - Explore education statistics - GOV.UK
The primary school peak in applications in 2016 rolled forwards to create a peak in pupils requiring secondary school places in 2023, when 619,991 applications were received. That coincided with a peak of 655,911 in places available.
This national picture masks regional variation, with some London local authorities in particular experiencing decreases recently in the number of pupils requiring school places.
There is substantial regional variation in secondary school first preference, top three preference and preferred offer rates by region.
Secondary applicants in the North East and South West are most likely to receive an offer of their top preference school or one of their preferred schools. Applicants in London are least likely. However, those living in London both typically experience and are offered wider choice than applicants in other parts of the country. London local authorities generally allow applicants to list up to six preferred schools, compared with three in most other regions. This reflects the greater likelihood that those living in London are practically able to access a greater number of schools. This wider choice is associated with a reduced likelihood of specific preferences being met.
This pattern shows little variation over time. Since 2019, applicants in the North East and South West have experienced the highest first preference rates, with first preference rates consistently between 86% and 91%. Applicants in London have experienced the lowest, being the only region with first preference rates consistently below 75%.
This release concentrates on the headline figures for the proportion of children receiving their first preference or a preferred offer. It also provides some context on the number of places available and local authorities which have selective schools within their secondary state-funded provision.
Underlying data files available in the data catalogue provide more information including:
In addition, the release also provides a timeseries of school level figures which shows the number of 1st, 2nd, 3rd and total preferences expressed, and the number of offers, also by 1st, 2nd, 3rd and total preferences. Contextual data from sources external to the applications and offers data collections can be sourced from the Get Information About Schools (GIAS) website (opens in a new tab). The school level file can mainly be linked to GIAS files using school LAEstab. Note that some schools cannot be found on GIAS by reference to the LAEstab as given in the school level file. A small number of schools are identified for application purposes by a dummy code rather than their official identifier. This may be, for example, because the school has not opened yet and has not been allocated its final identifier or because it wishes to identify separately applications to a particular site, phase or stream of education.
This school level data is found in ‘all supporting files’ within the ‘explore data and files’ section of this publication. Detailed information on this data, including the processing undertaken and how it can be interpreted, is found in the ‘School level data’ section of the methodology document. Specific data quality issues are recorded in the ‘Data quality’ section.
Find out how and why we collect, process and publish these statistics.
These are Official Statistics and have been produced in line with the Code of Practice for Official Statistics.
This can be broadly interpreted to mean that these statistics are:
Find out more about the standards we follow to produce these statistics through our Standards for official statistics published by DfE guidance.
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