School admissions in Scarborough

How heavily each school was applied to for September 2026 entry, from the applications and offers every admissions authority reports to the DfE. 7 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.

Scarborough in figures

For Reception places in September 2026, families named the 21 schools in Scarborough first 580 times for 578 places: 1.00 first choices per place, against 1.00 across the North Yorkshire authority's 280 schools. 3 of the 21 had more first choices than places. For 2026 entry, 4 schools here gave their last places on distance, from 1.11 miles (Cayton Community Primary School) to 2.39 miles (Lindhead School).

For Year 7 places in September 2026, families named the 4 schools in Scarborough first 678 times for 681 places: 1.00 first choices per place, against 1.00 across the North Yorkshire authority's 40 schools. 2 of the 4 had more first choices than places. For 2026 entry, one school here gave its last places on distance: Scalby Academy, to 2.42 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

21 schools. 3 received more first preferences than they had places.

School	First preferences per place	Places	Cutoff distance
Cayton Community Primary SchoolScarborough	1.38	29	1.111 miles 2026
Lindhead SchoolScarborough	1.07	30	2.391 miles 2026
Newby and Scalby AcademyScarborough	1.03	58	1.922 miles 2026
Barrowcliff SchoolScarborough	1.00	29	not published
Brompton and Sawdon Community Primary SchoolScarborough	1.00	11	not published
Friarage Community AcademyScarborough	1.00	22	not published
Gladstone Road Primary SchoolScarborough	1.00	65	not published
Hackness Church of England Primary SchoolScarborough	1.00	5	not published
Hertford Vale Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, StaxtonScarborough	1.00	4	not published
Seamer and Irton Community Primary SchoolScarborough	1.00	59	1.876 miles 2026
Snainton Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary SchoolScarborough	1.00	3	not published
St George's Catholic Primary School - a Catholic voluntary academyScarborough	1.00	11	not published
St Peter's Catholic Primary School - a Catholic voluntary academyScarborough	1.00	26	not published
Thomas Hinderwell Primary AcademyScarborough	1.00	21	not published
Wykeham Church of England Primary SchoolScarborough	1.00	4	not published
Scarborough, Northstead Community Primary SchoolScarborough	0.96	55	not published
East Ayton Community Primary SchoolScarborough	0.96	24	not published
Wheatcroft Community Primary SchoolScarborough	0.96	24	not published
Scarborough, Overdale Community Primary SchoolScarborough	0.94	35	not published
Braeburn Primary and Nursery AcademyScarborough	0.90	29	not published
St Martin's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, ScarboroughScarborough	0.88	34	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

4 schools. 2 received more first preferences than they had places.

School	First preferences per place	Places	Cutoff distance
St Augustine's Catholic School - a Catholic voluntary academyScarborough	1.47	115	not published
George Pindar SchoolScarborough	1.10	156	not published
Scalby AcademyScarborough	0.92	229	2.416 miles 2026
Graham SchoolScarborough	0.71	181	not published