School admissions in High Wycombe
How heavily each school was applied to for September 2026 entry, from the applications and offers every admissions authority reports to the DfE. 28 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.
High Wycombe in figures
For Reception places in September 2026, families named the 35 schools in High Wycombe first 1,281 times for 1,277 places: 1.00 first choices per place, against 1.00 across the Buckinghamshire authority's 156 schools. 7 of the 35 had more first choices than places. For 2026 entry, 10 schools here gave their last places on distance, from 0.27 miles (Abbey View Primary Academy) to 2.31 miles (Cedar Park School & Nursery).
For Year 7 places in September 2026, families named the 8 schools in High Wycombe first 1,431 times for 1,404 places: 1.02 first choices per place, against 1.08 across the Buckinghamshire authority's 36 schools. 5 of the 8 had more first choices than places. For 2026 entry, one school here gave its last places on distance: Holmer Green Senior School, to 1.48 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
35 schools. 7 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
8 schools. 5 received more first preferences than they had places.
| School | First preferences per place | Places | Cutoff distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| John Hampden Grammar School | 1.41 | 184 | not published |
| Wycombe High School | 1.38 | 190 | not published |
| The Royal Grammar School, High Wycombe | 1.19 | 182 | not published |
| Cressex Community School | 1.16 | 145 | not published |
| The Highcrest Academy | 1.09 | 172 | not published |
| St Michael's Catholic School | 0.92 | 115 | not published |
| Holmer Green Senior School | 0.89 | 209 | 1.481 miles |
| Sir William Ramsay School | 0.22 | 207 | 2.919 miles |
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.