Secondary National Offer Day 2026

[LancreWowhawk]

Is anyone else anxiously awaiting news of secondary school allocations for September 2026? If so, come and bite your nails with me!

We've applied for 4 schools in our London borough, 3 girls schools and then our 4th choice is co-ed. Last year, we'd have got whichever one we put first, which will be down to changing demographics in London, so I'm hoping the same is true this year. As recently as 3 years ago, we wouldn't have got either of our first 2 choices on either faith or distance grounds, so I'm not counting my chickens!

We should be safe with either of our 3rd or 4th choices, as there's no year we wouldn't have got either of them, but still - I just want to know now!

Interesting. I will be applying in this borough next year. Do you happen to know anything about the schools that border Greenwich, so Trinity, St Mathews etc?

Not really, sorry. I know one family who got trinity this year - it wasn’t high up their list. Know others who are very happy there and I also liked it but wanted a secular school (same with St M and was also put off by ds’s journey if he went there being through Lewisham centre which is mayhem after school).

My nephew is just across the borough border from you in Richmond. They got 5th choice despite the fact they would have got all of 2-4 last year (1 was tiffin)… so catchments have clearly shrunk there!!!
glad you got yours (I can tell from
your posts what your choices were as I grew up in old Isleworth 😂)

This is where I am! Your poor nephew that's crazy. Hopefully he can get something from a waiting list.

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/secondary-school-applications-london-first-choice-year-6-7-primary-admissions-b1273111.html

Secondary school applications fall in London but more pupils fail to secure first-choice place

--> so fewer pupils overall but more going for the same school?

But I thought there were going to be children pouring into the state system after the VAT on private school fees - has that not happened?

There are (or, to be more precise, not entering private when they would have done) - but there was a post-2012 decrease in birth rates and many families leaving London as it becomes less affordable.

Gosh, it was just a bit of a joke that you had to wait so long. I'm sorry for criticising the London system 😳

It's only 551 additional children getting their 2nd-6th preference this year. If they were spread out evenly across the 32 boroughs, that's 17 children.

When actual state schools have closed due to the fall in birthrates and migration, so few across the boroughs isn't sign of any disaster.

Not in London. We applied for a really good school , slightly out of our catchment area. It was 50/50 whether dear daughter got it.

She didn’t . She other second choice ( sadly all the local schools here need improvement).

She really upset she dint get the school she wanted.

Sadly school we wanted got an over 700 applicants for 230 places. We really are gutted. Because it’s a better school, they get lots of applicants. Didn’t help that lots of her friends got that school too.

Literally nothing we can do.

We've had staff shouted at and threatened, cajoled, cried at and generally put through the mill from parents who think it'll get them an early confirmation they've had an offer every year. The LA get it as well - so some people do genuinely think it's deliberately done to make their lives harder.

It's hard to tell sometimes when somebody is making a joke - and the sort of people who do react as above just get more and more wound up if they hear such things.

Not the wisest idea? Catchment school? Yep we got in. My point was I wish people would just send their children to the local school. We then wouldn't have all this clamour and house buying to get into a perceived 'good school'.

My first choice was my closest school and I didn't get it! In fact I couldn't go to the three nearest schools (super selective, religious, don't live near enough).

I think some “local schools”
are ones you’d do anything to avoid your dc ending up at

We got first choice phew. But I know people that didn't (south/central London)

Is there any urgency to get on the waiting lists?
Will they give out places now or do they wait for the waiting lists to settle and give out any places then?

It's crazy how they need to go with primary friends my DD now 20 and son now 18 went with primary friends but once left yr 12 they no longer were friends I have a son in yr 10 who had a boy group all threw primary all go same school are now all not friends they have there own mates it's crazy

@JamiLdn Grey Coat Hospital, St Marylebone and St Michael's Catholic College. Would have been happy with any but delighted with GCH.

@Myanna Same, a couple of my daughter's friends didn't get any of their preferences!

This is so meaningless.

People can list 6 schools in London so can probably afford to put down at least 2 really long shots and still have 4 preferences including a dead cert. So who knows if this 'failure' to get first preference is actually because they listed a totally oversubscribed faith school for which they have no religious affiliation, or hugely popular schools miles away - possibly encouraged by the belief that falling birthrate increased their chances?

You can make sure you are on the waiting list - good luck!

@MmeWorthington that definitely is a big factor. There is more awareness in general as well about the process & waiting lists so lots of parents list a school that they don’t really have a chance at as first because what is there to lose.

I don’t believe there has been a big decline in applications at secondary level in London. Fees rises have already made it prohibitively expensive to many so I’m not sure VAT is the deciding factor for the majority, certainly not amongst people I know. I do think preps will be impacted but that was already happening as people prioritised secondary & birth rates have also impacted the private sector.

Also in addition to my post about fewer first place offers schools can reduce their PAN in order to better budget & manage finances so they might just have fewer places available whereas previous years they have admitted more than their PAN.

It is harder to get into the most sought after state secondaries in London, because of the VAT on private school fees. So harder aka more competition for those with selection/ability tests and shrinking catchments for catchment schools. It is not like those who would have previously paid a large amount for private school and can’t anymore, aren’t going to try for the very best state schools now. Hence more competition for the schools considered the top state schools, in each locality. There was something in the recent white papers about them stopping middle class parents getting their DC into all the best state schools, but not sure what they will do.