SchoolFacts.uk

School admissions in Canterbury

How heavily each school was applied to for September 2026 entry, from the applications and offers every admissions authority reports to the DfE. 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.

Reception places, September 2026

28 schools. 8 received more first preferences than they had places.

SchoolFirst preferences per placePlacesCutoff distance
Hoath Primary SchoolCanterbury1.67151.825 miles 2026
Blean Primary SchoolCanterbury1.33601.466 miles 2026
St Thomas' Catholic Primary School, CanterburyCanterbury1.27300.057 miles 2026
Preston Primary SchoolCanterbury1.20204.209 miles 2026
Wingham Primary SchoolCanterbury1.17303.561 miles 2026
Wincheap Foundation Primary SchoolCanterbury1.10600.65 miles 2026
Adisham Church of England Primary SchoolCanterbury1.07150.926 miles 2025
Littlebourne Church of England Primary SchoolCanterbury1.07153.22 miles 2026
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, AyleshamCanterbury1.0024not published
Aylesham Primary SchoolCanterbury0.9855not published
Barham Church of England Primary SchoolCANTERBURY0.97301.808 miles 2025
St Peter's Methodist Primary SchoolCanterbury0.97300.828 miles 2026
Ash Cartwright and Kelsey Church of England Primary SchoolCanterbury0.9628not published
Water Meadows Primary SchoolCanterbury0.9625not published
Chislet Church of England Primary SchoolCanterbury0.93153.634 miles 2026
Stelling Minnis Church of England Primary SchoolCanterbury0.9314not published
Parkside Community Foundation Primary SchoolCanterbury0.9123not published
St Stephen's Infant SchoolCanterbury0.9169not published
Pilgrims' Way Primary SchoolCanterbury0.9144not published
Chartham Primary SchoolCanterbury0.9154not published
Petham Primary SchoolCanterbury0.9010not published
The Canterbury Primary SchoolCanterbury0.87600.943 miles 2025
Bridge and Patrixbourne Church of England Primary SchoolCanterbury0.85593.373 miles 2025
Elham Church of England Primary SchoolCanterbury0.8513not published
Goodnestone Church of England Primary SchoolCanterbury0.8361.827 miles 2025
St Johns Church of England Primary SchoolCanterbury0.8143not published
Sturry Church of England Primary SchoolCanterbury0.80592.094 miles 2023
Chilham, St Mary's Church of England Primary SchoolCanterbury0.7914not 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.

Year 7 places, September 2026

8 schools. 5 received more first preferences than they had places.

SchoolFirst preferences per placePlaces
Simon Langton Grammar School for BoysCanterbury1.34145
The Canterbury AcademyCanterbury1.22203
St Anselm's Catholic School, CanterburyCanterbury1.22166
Simon Langton Girls' Grammar SchoolCanterbury1.20166
Barton Court Grammar SchoolCanterbury1.16125
Barton Manor SchoolCanterbury1.00147
Orion SpiresCanterbury0.72106
The Archbishop's SchoolCanterbury0.48133

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.