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!

We’re in Hounslow. I am so glad I started the thread, because I’m very stressed about it and DH just keeps telling my to calm down, which is NOT helping!

I truly managed to put all this to the back of my mind until about 2 days ago and now I can think of nothing else!! Waiting on news of a Tiffin place…

Glad I’m not the only one pointlessly stressing about Monday. Also in the London 5pm club. We are about 500m inside the radius of our top choice based on last year’s stats, but I don’t know how different this year will be and I am much less keen on our second preference so feel quite twitchy.

so there is no way we could log into eadmissions before 5pm to see results

I spent my lunch break drafting a paragraph to put into the box for 'reconsideration'. It's bloody good. But I hope I don't need it.

Glad I don't have to wait until 5pm!!! I will be logging on to the portal in the night.

I don’t think so, sadly.

@Sausagedog123 I toyed with a Tiffin application, but in the end decided that while we're technically close enough it wouldn't have been practical. Good luck!

@changename87 Yes, definitely all welcome! I didn't intend the thread to be London-only, but it looks like the Londoners amongst us are particularly stressed.

@trying29 My understanding is that the portal won't update until 5pm at the earliest, and emails will start being sent after that. I'll be logging into the portal to check because 1) that's a lot of emails, and sending that volume can take time 2) ours will go to DH who will be in SE Asia and therefore asleep.

DD seems much less bothered about it all than I am. Apparently I did an absolutely bang-up job of convincing her that they're all good schools and it doesn't really matter!

Yes but trying not to think about it!! We are just out of catchment for the most suitable school for my children. There is no second choice around us. (Whilst there are a couple of other schools, they are dire and totally unsuitable for my querky children).
We will just appeal if we don't get a place and would consider homeschooling until space does become available!

I’m not in London but anxiously waiting as well. We are hoping for our first choice with sibling link. The school we want is really oversubscribed so I’m keeping everything crossed and hope I have filed in the sibling link ok.
Good luck everyone!

Last year we heard about DD's Tiffin place around 5:30pm from the council. The school emailed separately the following day at 10am. Good luck everyone!

London borough here Joining this group of nail biters! I’m barely sleeping…we have 2 grammars, 3 faith and 1 comp. The comp is the only certain one. It’s going to be a long summer on waitlists..sigh!

Marylebone is Church of England, not catholic

She means she is Catholic, not the school!

😂😂😂😂. Sorry that made me chuckle.

i thought I was the only that’s been doing that. Good luck!!

@TwoProngedFork@Schoolhelp23I would have been exactly the same, except it was DH that filled in the form. Handily, this means I can blame him if he got it wrong!

As catholics , did you also apply for SHHS?

I think London is possibly more stressful because of (the illusion of…) choice. My in-laws think I’m mad and overthinking because they basically only have one school within reach where they live so it’s not really up for consideration.

For the Londoners (apart from a few schools) you should be fine. The birth rate drop is feeding into secondary now.

Also there is a lot of movement between now & September

This is reassuring, but with the schools we are applying to I worry a bit about an exodus from the private sector due to the VAT issue.

@bookworm14 I haven’t heard there is a significant exodus in London at secondary level. PS has become prohibitively expensive with the fee increases before VAT.

We should be fine due to a sibling, and would be fine anyway due to distance AND our second choice is also a brilliant school - but I am still a bit anxious that I’ve screwed it up somehow!

This isn't a good thing, where I live! It's incredibly stressful where there's one school that's crap and the thing you can do is try your hand at some real long shots.

Essex waiting here: two choices (one Catholic although did take non-catholics last year for the last few places) and safety school where her siblings went.

Im hoping for the Catholic school due to issues with the girls in her year group who will all be going to the local safety .

I think the most popular schools are still consistently over subscribed, so although roll is down overall, the most desired schools remain competitive

This is my concern. Nothing to do but wait and keep fingers crossed though.