School admissions in Southampton

How heavily each school was applied to for September 2026 entry, from the applications and offers every admissions authority reports to the DfE. 85 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.

Southampton in figures

For Reception places in September 2026, families named the 86 schools in Southampton first 3,898 times for 3,900 places: 1.00 first choices per place. 21 of the 86 had more first choices than places. For 2026 entry, 19 schools here gave their last places on distance, from 0.38 miles (Rownhams St John's Church of England Primary School) to 3.02 miles (Park Gate Primary School).

For Year 7 places in September 2026, families named the 23 schools in Southampton first 4,656 times for 4,593 places: 1.01 first choices per place. 11 of the 23 had more first choices than places. For 2026 entry, 6 schools here gave their last places on distance, from 1.11 miles (Oasis Academy Sholing) to 4.76 miles (Swanmore College).

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

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

School	First preferences per place	Places	Cutoff distance
Springhill Catholic Primary SchoolSouthampton	1.45	87	not published
Highfield Church of England Primary SchoolSouthampton	1.35	43	not published
Kings Copse Primary SchoolSouthampton	1.32	28	1.22 miles 2024
Botley Church of England Controlled Primary SchoolSouthampton	1.25	59	2.28 miles 2026
Bitterne Manor Primary and Nursery SchoolSouthampton	1.25	28	0.656 miles 2026
Redbridge Primary SchoolSouthampton	1.25	28	0.493 miles 2026
St Patrick's Catholic Primary SchoolSouthampton	1.24	59	not published
Berrywood Primary SchoolSouthampton	1.13	90	0.76 miles 2026
Hazel Wood Infant SchoolSouthampton	1.12	59	1.02 miles 2026
Eling Infant School and NurserySouthampton	1.11	44	1.74 miles 2026
Sinclair Primary and Nursery School - Part of the Learning Federation Partnership of SchoolsSouthampton	1.11	28	1.141 miles 2026
Rownhams St John's Church of England Primary SchoolSouthampton	1.10	41	0.38 miles 2026
Calmore Infant SchoolSouthampton	1.09	57	0.84 miles 2026
Glenfield Infant SchoolSouthampton	1.09	58	not published
Hightown Primary SchoolSouthampton	1.07	28	not published
Hook-With-Warsash Church of England AcademySouthampton	1.05	59	not published
Hamble Primary SchoolSouthampton	1.05	44	2.13 miles 2026
St Denys Primary SchoolSouthampton	1.03	29	0.938 miles 2026
St John's Primary and Nursery SchoolSouthampton	1.02	41	0.75 miles 2023
Bishops Waltham Infant SchoolSouthampton	1.02	58	1.3 miles 2026
Holy Family Catholic Primary School - Part of the Learning Federation Partnership of SchoolsSouthampton	1.02	59	not published
Bassett Green Primary SchoolSouthampton	1.00	48	2.953 miles 2024
Foundry Lane Primary SchoolSouthampton	1.00	42	0.488 miles 2024
Harefield Primary SchoolSouthampton	1.00	39	not published
Hope Community School SouthamptonSouthampton	1.00	13	not published
Mansbridge Primary SchoolSouthampton	1.00	16	0.812 miles 2022
Mason Moor Primary School, Nursery & Specialist BasesSouthampton	1.00	8	not published
Oakfield AcademySouthampton	1.00	29	not published
Orchard Infant SchoolSouthampton	1.00	88	1.81 miles 2023
Shirley Warren Primary & Nursery SchoolSouthampton	1.00	34	not published
St Monica Primary SchoolSouthampton	1.00	43	not published
Swanmore Church of England Aided Primary SchoolSouthampton	1.00	59	not published
Thornhill Primary SchoolSouthampton	1.00	25	not published
Townhill Infant SchoolSouthampton	1.00	25	not published
Weston Shore Infant SchoolSouthampton	1.00	23	not published
Wildground Infant SchoolSouthampton	1.00	31	not published
Wordsworth Primary and Nursery SchoolSouthampton	1.00	44	not published
Bitterne Park Primary & Nursery School - Part of the Learning Federation Partnership of SchoolsSouthampton	0.99	89	2.707 miles 2026
Locks Heath Infant & Nursery SchoolSouthampton	0.99	78	not published
Wellstead Primary SchoolSouthampton	0.98	59	1.39 miles 2026
Fairisle Infant and Nursery SchoolSouthampton	0.98	56	3.685 miles 2024
Oakwood Primary SchoolSouthampton	0.98	50	1.46 miles 2022
Blackfield Primary and Nursery SchoolSouthampton	0.98	43	not published
Shirley Infant SchoolSouthampton	0.98	85	not published
Netley Abbey Infant SchoolSouthampton	0.97	71	not published
Weston Park Primary SchoolSouthampton	0.97	34	not published
Freegrounds Infant SchoolSouthampton	0.97	60	1.39 miles 2026
Mount Pleasant InfantsSouthampton	0.97	60	not published
Park Gate Primary SchoolSouthampton	0.97	59	3.02 miles 2026
St Mary's Church of England Primary School & NurserySouthampton	0.97	58	0.407 miles 2023
Woolston Infant SchoolSouthampton	0.97	58	not published
Tanners Brook Primary SchoolSouthampton	0.96	52	not published
Copythorne CofE Infant SchoolSouthampton	0.96	24	2.134 miles 2022
Newlands Primary SchoolSouthampton	0.95	40	0.698 miles 2023
Saint James' Church of England Primary SchoolSouthampton	0.95	73	1.59 miles 2025
Meonstoke Church of England Infant SchoolSouthampton	0.94	17	3.36 miles 2024
Bevois Town Primary SchoolSouthampton	0.94	33	0.971 miles 2024
Curdridge Primary SchoolSouthampton	0.94	16	1.73 miles 2026
North Baddesley Infant SchoolSouthampton	0.94	79	2.81 miles 2024
Ludlow Infant AcademySouthampton	0.93	61	not published
Hythe Primary SchoolSouthampton	0.93	30	1.03 miles 2019
Valentine Primary School & NurserySouthampton	0.93	30	not published
Kanes Hill Primary SchoolSouthampton	0.93	43	not published
Freemantle Church of England Community AcademySouthampton	0.93	28	not published
Upham Church of England Aided Primary SchoolSouthampton	0.93	14	not published
Swaythling Primary SchoolSouthampton	0.93	27	2.94 miles 2024
Sarisbury Infant SchoolSouthampton	0.93	80	4.57 miles 2025
Mansel Park Primary & Nursery School - Part of the Learning Federation Partnership of SchoolsSouthampton	0.92	39	not published
Marchwood Church of England Infant SchoolSouthampton	0.92	50	not published
Foxhills Infant SchoolSouthampton	0.92	49	1.32 miles 2025
Sholing Infant SchoolSouthampton	0.92	85	not published
Bursledon Church of England Infant SchoolSouthampton	0.92	72	2.06 miles 2025
St Mark's Church of England SchoolSouthampton	0.91	43	0.364 miles 2024
Moorlands Primary SchoolSouthampton	0.91	53	not published
Durley Church of England Controlled Primary SchoolSouthampton	0.90	20	1.28 miles 2026
Waterside Primary SchoolSouthampton	0.90	20	1.12 miles 2021
Bitterne Church of England Primary SchoolSouthampton	0.89	46	1.706 miles 2026
Hollybrook Infant SchoolSouthampton	0.89	46	not published
Portswood Primary SchoolSouthampton	0.89	45	not published
Lydlynch Infant SchoolSouthampton	0.88	48	not published
St John the Baptist Church of England Primary SchoolSouthampton	0.86	28	not published
Nursling Church of England Primary SchoolSouthampton	0.83	24	0.97 miles 2024
Manor Church of England Infant SchoolSouthampton	0.81	16	not published
Shamblehurst Primary SchoolSouthampton	0.80	46	0.54 miles 2020
Netley Marsh Church of England Infant SchoolSouthampton	0.79	14	1.6 miles 2021
Banister Primary SchoolSouthampton	0.67	55	1.322 miles 2024

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

23 schools. 11 received more first preferences than they had places.

School	First preferences per place	Places	Cutoff distance
Saint George Catholic Voluntary Aided College SouthamptonSouthampton	1.57	191	not published
Cantell SchoolSouthampton	1.33	239	not published
St Mark's Church of England SchoolSouthampton	1.33	113	1.366 miles 2024
Deer Park SchoolSouthampton	1.31	193	not published
Noadswood SchoolSouthampton	1.21	201	3.289 miles 2023
Upper Shirley High SchoolSouthampton	1.15	215	not published
Brookfield Community SchoolSouthampton	1.11	385	1.424 miles 2024
Oasis Academy SholingSouthampton	1.08	209	1.106 miles 2026
Woodlands Community CollegeSouthampton	1.07	180	1.108 miles 2026
Redbridge Community SchoolSouthampton	1.03	223	3.934 miles 2024
Bitterne Park SchoolSouthampton	1.01	332	1.346 miles 2026
Testwood SchoolSouthampton	0.99	153	not published
Hounsdown SchoolSouthampton	0.96	218	1.666 miles 2021
Swanmore CollegeSouthampton	0.95	262	4.76 miles 2026
The Hamble SchoolSouthampton	0.92	225	2.74 miles 2026
Wildern SchoolSouthampton	0.91	292	3.728 miles 2021
Regents Park Community CollegeSouthampton	0.85	146	1.685 miles 2026
Applemore CollegeSouthampton	0.82	65	not published
St Anne's Catholic SchoolSouthampton	0.81	205	not published
Lift New ForestSouthampton	0.73	101	not published
Oasis Academy MayfieldSouthampton	0.70	178	1.03 miles 2023
Weston Secondary SchoolSouthampton	0.60	116	not published
Oasis Academy Lord's HillSouthampton	0.28	151	not published