School admissions in Preston

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

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

School	First preferences per place	Places
The Olive School, PrestonPreston	2.25	60
Harris Primary SchoolPreston	1.59	29
St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Lea TownPreston	1.53	15
Garstang St Thomas' Church of England Primary SchoolPreston	1.37	30
Coupe Green Primary SchoolPreston	1.30	20
Fishwick Primary SchoolPreston	1.29	17
Ashton-on-Ribble St Andrew's Church of England Primary SchoolPreston	1.29	59
Cottam Primary SchoolPreston	1.28	60
St Francis Catholic Primary School, GoosnarghPreston	1.27	15
The Willows Catholic Primary School, KirkhamPreston	1.26	31
Queen's Drive Primary SchoolPreston	1.23	60
Tarleton Community Primary SchoolPreston	1.21	29
Broughton-in-Amounderness Church of England Primary SchoolPreston	1.20	59
Barton St Lawrence Church of England Primary SchoolPreston	1.20	25
Brabins Endowed SchoolPreston	1.20	15
Sherwood Primary SchoolPreston	1.15	60
Kirkland and Catterall St Helen's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary SchoolPreston	1.14	21
Kirkham St Michael's Church of England Primary SchoolPreston	1.13	30
Longsands Community Primary SchoolPreston	1.13	30
Newton Bluecoat Church of England Primary SchoolPreston	1.13	30
Our Lady and St Edward's Catholic Primary School, PrestonPreston	1.13	30
Penwortham Middleforth Church of England Primary SchoolPreston	1.13	30
Walton-le-Dale Community Primary SchoolPreston	1.10	59
St Gregory's Catholic Primary School, PrestonPreston	1.10	30
Tarleton Holy Trinity CofE Primary SchoolPreston	1.10	31
Goosnargh Oliverson's Church of England Primary SchoolPreston	1.03	30
Holy Family Catholic Primary School, WartonPreston	1.03	30
Walton-le-Dale, St Leonard's Church of England Primary SchoolPreston	1.03	30
Brockholes Wood Community Primary School and NurseryPreston	1.00	23
Calder Vale St John Church of England Primary SchoolPreston	1.00	3
Clayton Brook Primary SchoolPreston	1.00	13
Forton Primary SchoolPreston	1.00	12
Freckleton Church of England Primary SchoolPreston	1.00	29
Goosnargh Whitechapel Primary SchoolPreston	1.00	15
Higher Walton Church of England Primary SchoolPreston	1.00	12
Howick Church Endowed Primary SchoolPreston	1.00	12
Kingsfold Primary SchoolPRESTON	1.00	17
Lea Neeld's Endowed Church of England Primary SchoolPreston	1.00	20
Little Hoole Primary SchoolPreston	1.00	20
Moor Nook Community Primary SchoolPreston	1.00	14
Penwortham Broad Oak Primary SchoolPreston	1.00	23
Penwortham, St Teresa's Catholic Primary SchoolPreston	1.00	37
Preston Grange Primary SchoolPreston	1.00	19
Ribchester St Wilfrid's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary SchoolPreston	1.00	15
Scorton Church of England Primary SchoolPreston	1.00	7
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, BrindlePreston	1.00	11
St Mary Magdalen's Catholic Primary SchoolPreston	1.00	16
St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Claughton-on-BrockPreston	1.00	4
St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Great EcclestonPreston	1.00	5
St Mary's Roman Catholic Primary School, ChippingPreston	1.00	7
St Mary's and St Benedict's Roman Catholic Primary SchoolPreston	1.00	24
St Oswald's Catholic Primary School, LongtonPreston	1.00	23
St William's Catholic Primary School, PillingPreston	1.00	5
Tarleton Mere Brow Church of England Primary SchoolPreston	1.00	8
The Blessed Sacrament Catholic Primary School, PrestonPreston	1.00	29
Treales Church of England Primary SchoolPreston	1.00	1
Winmarleigh Church of England Primary SchoolPreston	1.00	2
St Matthew's Church of England Primary AcademyPreston	0.98	44
Our Lady and St Gerard's Roman Catholic Primary School, Lostock HallPreston	0.97	35
Grimsargh St Michael's Church of England Primary SchoolPreston	0.97	29
Cuerden Church School, Bamber BridgePreston	0.96	25
Brindle Gregson Lane Primary SchoolPreston	0.96	23
Longton Primary SchoolPreston	0.96	23
St Maria Goretti Catholic Primary School, PrestonPreston	0.95	21
Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, PrestonPreston	0.95	20
St Mary and St Andrew's Catholic Primary School, Barton NewshamPreston	0.94	18
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, PrestonPreston	0.94	35
Leyland St Andrew's Church of England Infant SchoolPreston	0.94	51
Medlar-with-Wesham Church of England Primary SchoolPreston	0.94	17
Lostock Hall Community Primary SchoolPreston	0.94	48
St Stephen's CofE SchoolPRESTON	0.94	32
Whitefield Primary SchoolPreston	0.93	46
Woodplumpton St Anne's CofE Primary SchoolPreston	0.93	15
English Martyrs Catholic Primary School, PrestonPreston	0.93	29
Warton St Paul's Church of England Primary AcademyPreston	0.93	14
Hesketh-With-Becconsall All Saints CofE SchoolPreston	0.92	24
Nateby Primary SchoolPreston	0.92	12
New Longton All Saints CofE Primary SchoolPreston	0.92	24
Longridge St Wilfrid's Roman Catholic Primary SchoolPreston	0.91	22
Pilling St John's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary SchoolPreston	0.91	11
Ribby with Wrea Endowed CofE Primary SchoolPreston	0.91	22
Strike Lane Primary SchoolPreston	0.91	22
Penwortham Primary SchoolPreston	0.90	21
Samlesbury Church of England SchoolPreston	0.90	10
Cop Lane Church of England Primary School, PenworthamPreston	0.90	29
Ribbleton Avenue Infant SchoolPreston	0.90	58
Alston Lane Catholic Primary School, LongridgePreston	0.89	19
St Augustine's Catholic Primary School, PrestonPreston	0.89	38
St. Anne's Copp CofE Primary School, Great EcclestonPreston	0.89	28
St Clare's Catholic Primary School, PrestonPreston	0.89	35
Longridge Church of England Primary SchoolPreston	0.88	26
St Teresa's Catholic Primary School, PrestonPreston	0.88	26
Deepdale Community Primary SchoolPreston	0.88	75
St Anthony's Catholic Primary School, PrestonPreston	0.87	45
Hoole St Michael CofE Primary SchoolPreston	0.86	7
Inskip St Peter's Church of England Voluntary Aided SchoolPreston	0.86	7
Weeton St Michael's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary SchoolPreston	0.86	7
St Ignatius' Catholic Primary School, PrestonPreston	0.85	26
Weeton Primary SchoolPreston	0.84	19
Holme Slack Community Primary SchoolPreston	0.83	24
Frenchwood Community Primary SchoolPreston	0.80	25
St Patrick's Roman Catholic Primary School, Walton-le-DalePreston	0.80	30
Fulwood, St Peter's Church of England Primary School and NurseryPreston	0.79	29
Pool House Community Primary SchoolPreston	0.79	24
Preston Greenlands Community Primary SchoolPreston	0.79	19
Holy Family Catholic Primary School, Ingol, PrestonPreston	0.78	23
Bamber Bridge St Aidan's Church of England Primary SchoolPreston	0.78	18
Catforth Primary SchoolPreston	0.77	13
Ingol Community Primary SchoolPRESTON	0.71	28
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Medlar-with-WeshamPreston	0.71	14
Brookfield Community Primary SchoolPreston	0.70	23
Garstang Community Primary SchoolPreston	0.68	25
St Mary and St Michael's Catholic Primary School, GarstangPreston	0.67	6
Ashton Primary SchoolPreston	0.66	29
Kirkham and Wesham Primary SchoolPreston	0.63	27
St Bernard's Catholic Primary School, PrestonPreston	0.61	28
Lea Community Primary SchoolPreston	0.59	56
Bilsborrow John Cross Church of England Primary SchoolPreston	0.58	12
The Roebuck SchoolPreston	0.55	40
Kennington Primary SchoolPreston	0.54	35

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

22 schools. 9 received more first preferences than they had places.

School	First preferences per place	Places
Corpus Christi Catholic High SchoolPreston	1.84	151
Broughton High SchoolPreston	1.39	168
Lostock Hall AcademyPreston	1.20	156
All Hallows Catholic High SchoolPreston	1.18	171
Preston Muslim Girls High SchoolPreston	1.18	120
Moor Park High SchoolPreston	1.11	127
Penwortham Priory AcademyPreston	1.09	151
St Cecilia's RC High SchoolPreston	1.07	119
Ashton Community Science CollegePreston	1.02	169
Penwortham Girls' High SchoolPreston	0.99	161
Eden Boys' School, PrestonPreston	0.96	121
Brownedge St Mary's Catholic High SchoolPreston	0.94	159
Tarleton AcademyPreston	0.94	137
Our Lady's Catholic High SchoolPreston	0.93	175
Carr Hill High SchoolPreston	0.93	155
Hutton Church of England Grammar SchoolPreston	0.85	147
Longridge High SchoolPreston	0.84	184
Garstang Community AcademyPreston	0.84	156
Christ The King Catholic High SchoolPreston	0.79	95
Fulwood AcademyPreston	0.70	197
Walton-Le-Dale High SchoolPreston	0.56	134
Archbishop Temple Church of England High SchoolPreston	0.48	205