School admissions in Stevenage
How heavily each school was applied to for September 2026 entry, from the applications and offers every admissions authority reports to the DfE. 26 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.
Stevenage in figures
For Reception places in September 2026, families named the 25 schools in Stevenage first 1,003 times for 1,000 places: 1.00 first choices per place, against 1.00 across the Hertfordshire authority's 364 schools. 6 of the 25 had more first choices than places. For 2026 entry, 6 schools here gave their last places on distance, from 0.50 miles (Round Diamond Primary School) to 2.09 miles (Broom Barns Primary School).
For Year 7 places in September 2026, families named the 6 schools in Stevenage first 1,203 times for 1,219 places: 0.99 first choices per place, against 1.03 across the Hertfordshire authority's 78 schools. 3 of the 6 had more first choices than places. For 2026 entry, one school here gave its last places on distance: Barclay Academy, to 3.59 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
25 schools. 6 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
6 schools. 3 received more first preferences than they had places.
| School | First preferences per place | Places | Cutoff distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marriotts School | 1.34 | 221 | not published |
| The Saint John Henry Newman Catholic School | 1.32 | 219 | not published |
| The Thomas Alleyne Academy | 1.01 | 165 | not published |
| The Nobel School | 0.92 | 228 | not published |
| Barclay Academy | 0.76 | 191 | 5780.53 m (≈3.59 mi) |
| Barnwell School | 0.48 | 195 | 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.