School admissions in Winchester

How heavily each school was applied to for September 2026 entry, from the applications and offers every admissions authority reports to the DfE. 13 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.

Winchester in figures

For Reception places in September 2026, families named the 22 schools in Winchester first 591 times for 593 places: 1.00 first choices per place, against 1.00 across the Hampshire authority's 324 schools. 3 of the 22 had more first choices than places. For 2026 entry, one school here gave its last places on distance: Barton Stacey Church of England Primary School, to 4.48 miles.

For Year 7 places in September 2026, families named the 3 schools in Winchester first 759 times for 778 places: 0.98 first choices per place, against 0.99 across the Hampshire authority's 69 schools. One of the 3 had more first choices than places. For 2023 entry, 2 schools here gave their last places on distance, from 1.68 miles (Henry Beaufort School) to 2.31 miles (Kings' School).

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

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

School	First preferences per place	Places	Cutoff distance
The Westgate SchoolWinchester	1.31	59	not published
Barton Farm Primary AcademyWinchester	1.07	60	not published
Twyford St Mary's Church of England Primary SchoolWinchester	1.05	20	1.39 miles 2025
All Saints Church of England Primary SchoolWinchester	1.00	13	not published
Compton All Saints Church of England Primary SchoolWinchester	1.00	11	not published
Harestock Primary SchoolWinchester	1.00	23	not published
Itchen Abbas Primary SchoolWinchester	1.00	10	4.57 miles 2024
Micheldever CofE Primary SchoolWinchester	1.00	7	not published
Oliver's Battery Primary and Nursery SchoolWinchester	1.00	23	not published
Owslebury Primary SchoolWinchester	1.00	10	2.92 miles 2021
Sparsholt Church of England Primary SchoolWinchester	1.00	17	1.59 miles 2020
St Bede Church of England Primary SchoolWinchester	1.00	57	0.61 miles 2025
St Faith's Church of England Primary SchoolWinchester	1.00	19	not published
St Peter's Catholic Primary School, WinchesterWinchester	1.00	40	not published
Stanmore Primary SchoolWinchester	1.00	15	not published
Winnall Primary SchoolWinchester	1.00	17	not published
Kings Worthy Primary SchoolWinchester	0.96	47	1.89 miles 2021
South Wonston Primary SchoolWinchester	0.95	38	not published
John Keble Church of England Primary SchoolWinchester	0.89	9	not published
Western Church of England Primary SchoolWinchester	0.81	36	0.545 miles 2022
Weeke Primary SchoolWinchester	0.80	45	1.3 miles 2025
Barton Stacey Church of England Primary SchoolWinchester	0.76	17	4.48 miles 2026

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. 1 received more first preferences than they had places.

School	First preferences per place	Places	Cutoff distance
The Westgate SchoolWinchester	1.34	187	not published
Henry Beaufort SchoolWinchester	0.88	218	1.68 miles 2023
Kings' SchoolWinchester	0.85	373	2.308 miles 2023