School admissions in Bushey
How heavily each school was applied to for September 2026 entry, from the applications and offers every admissions authority reports to the DfE. 8 of these schools also have a published admissions cutoff distance. Sorted by first preferences per place. We don't invent rankings: the order is arithmetic on a published figure, not a view about which school is better.
Bushey in figures
For Reception places in September 2026, families named the 8 schools in Bushey first 321 times for 326 places: 0.98 first choices per place, against 1.00 across the Hertfordshire authority's 364 schools. 2 of the 8 had more first choices than places. For 2026 entry, 2 schools here gave their last places on distance, from 0.49 miles (Bushey Heath Primary School) to 2.57 miles (Highwood Primary School).
For Year 7 places in September 2026, families named the 3 schools in Bushey first 604 times for 713 places: 0.85 first choices per place, against 1.03 across the Hertfordshire authority's 78 schools. One of the 3 had more first choices than places. For 2025 entry, one school here gave its last places on distance: Bushey Meads School, to 2.57 miles.
Totals for the schools listed on this page. Applications and offers on national offer day, DfE; last-offer distances as the council published them.
Reception places, September 2026
8 schools. 2 received more first preferences than they had places.
| School | First preferences per place | Places | Cutoff distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bushey Heath Primary School | 1.83 | 30 | 794.87 m (≈0.49 mi) |
| Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School and Nursery | 1.11 | 45 | not published |
| Little Reddings Primary School | 1.00 | 28 | not published |
| Highwood Primary School | 0.97 | 60 | 4128.29 m (≈2.57 mi) |
| Bushey and Oxhey Infant School | 0.88 | 60 | 849.76 m (≈0.53 mi) |
| Merry Hill Infant School and Nursery | 0.80 | 54 | 2339.86 m (≈1.45 mi) |
| Bournehall Primary School | 0.76 | 29 | 589.84 m (≈0.37 mi) |
| Hartsbourne Primary School | 0.60 | 20 | 1305.56 m (≈0.81 mi) |
First preferences per place is the number of families naming the school first, divided by its published admission number. Above 1.00 means more first choices than places. It is not a ranking and not a measure of quality: a popular school can be easy to get into and a quiet one hard, because places are allocated by each school's own criteria, siblings and faith and banding first, with distance often the last tie-breaker. Applications and offers on national offer day, DfE.
Year 7 places, September 2026
3 schools. 1 received more first preferences than they had places.
| School | First preferences per place | Places | Cutoff distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Queens' School | 1.68 | 259 | not published |
| Bushey Meads School | 0.46 | 184 | 4130.67 m (≈2.57 mi) |
| The Grange Academy | 0.31 | 270 | not published |
First preferences per place is the number of families naming the school first, divided by its published admission number. Above 1.00 means more first choices than places. It is not a ranking and not a measure of quality: a popular school can be easy to get into and a quiet one hard, because places are allocated by each school's own criteria, siblings and faith and banding first, with distance often the last tie-breaker. Applications and offers on national offer day, DfE.