School admissions in Gloucester
How heavily each school was applied to for September 2026 entry, from the applications and offers every admissions authority reports to the DfE. 52 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.
Gloucester in figures
For Reception places in September 2026, families named the 54 schools in Gloucester first 2,002 times for 1,995 places: 1.00 first choices per place. 19 of the 54 had more first choices than places. For 2026 entry, 19 schools here gave their last places on distance, from 0.07 miles (Hartpury Church of England Primary School) to 5.72 miles (Eldersfield Lawn CofE Primary School).
For Year 7 places in September 2026, families named the 12 schools in Gloucester first 2,434 times for 2,357 places: 1.03 first choices per place. 8 of the 12 had more first choices than places. For 2025 entry, 4 schools here gave their last places on distance, from 1.45 miles (Barnwood Park School) to 2.61 miles (Chosen Hill School).
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
54 schools. 19 received more first preferences than they had places.
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
12 schools. 8 received more first preferences than they had places.
| School | First preferences per place | Places | Cutoff distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sir Thomas Rich's School | 1.29 | 150 | not published |
| Denmark Road High School | 1.29 | 147 | not published |
| St Peter's Catholic High School and Sixth Form Centre | 1.29 | 230 | not published |
| Churchdown School | 1.23 | 238 | not published |
| The Crypt School | 1.07 | 147 | not published |
| Severn Vale School | 1.05 | 264 | 0.95 miles |
| Ribston Hall High School | 1.02 | 149 | not published |
| Chosen Hill School | 1.01 | 209 | 2.61 miles |
| Barnwood Park School | 0.95 | 164 | 1.45 miles |
| Holmleigh Park High School | 0.90 | 247 | 2.02 miles |
| Henley Bank High School | 0.80 | 185 | 1.82 miles |
| Gloucester Academy | 0.60 | 227 | 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.