School admissions in Newcastle-under-Lyme
How heavily each school was applied to for September 2026 entry, from the applications and offers every admissions authority reports to the DfE. 5 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.
Newcastle-under-Lyme in figures
For Reception places in September 2026, families named the 7 schools in Newcastle-under-Lyme first 216 times for 216 places: 1.00 first choices per place, against 1.00 across the Staffordshire authority's 296 schools. 2 of the 7 had more first choices than places. For 2026 entry, 2 schools here gave their last places on distance, from 1.23 miles (Westlands Primary School) to 4.11 miles (Baldwins Gate CofE(VC) Primary School).
For Year 7 places in September 2026, families named the 3 schools in Newcastle-under-Lyme first 301 times for 398 places: 0.76 first choices per place, against 0.98 across the Staffordshire authority's 49 schools. 0 of the 3 had more first choices than places. For 2019 entry, one school here gave its last places on distance: Clayton Hall Academy, to 2.50 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
7 schools. 2 received more first preferences than they had places.
| School | First preferences per place | Places | Cutoff distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Westlands Primary School | 1.10 | 30 | 1.227 miles |
| Baldwins Gate CofE(VC) Primary School | 1.03 | 30 | 4.111 miles |
| Chesterton Primary School | 1.00 | 12 | 0.66 miles |
| Knutton St Marys CofE Academy | 1.00 | 18 | not published |
| Sun Academy Bradwell | 1.00 | 22 | not published |
| Seabridge Primary School | 0.98 | 54 | 1.16 miles |
| St Mary's Catholic Primary School | 0.94 | 50 | 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.
Year 7 places, September 2026
3 schools. 0 received more first preferences than they had places.
| School | First preferences per place | Places | Cutoff distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clayton Hall Academy | 0.80 | 174 | 2.5 miles |
| St John Fisher Catholic College | 0.72 | 127 | not published |
| Newcastle Academy | 0.72 | 97 | 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.