Applications for secondary school places in London fell 1.6 per cent this year
This year saw a slight dip in applications for secondary school places in London, reflecting the ongoing impact of the capital’s declining birth rate on schools.
According to figures released on National Secondary Offer Day, there were 86,057 applications for places at London secondary schools this year, marking a 1.6 per cent decrease from last year’s 87,512 applications, which itself represented a 3.1 per cent drop from 2024.
London Councils revealed that 70.5 per cent of children applying to secondary schools secured their first-choice placement for 2026 – a decline of 1.1 percentage points from 2025. The statistics emerge amidst a rapidly falling birth rate in the capital, which has already prompted several councils to consider primary school closures or mergers.
Of those applying to London schools, 89.6 per cent were offered one of their top three preferences and 94.3 per cent received at least one of their preferred choices, mirroring the figures from 2025.
This implies that 4,862 children did not receive an offer for one of their preferred schools for 2026.
Councillor Ian Edwards, London Councils’ executive member for children and young people, commented: “We are delighted that the overwhelming majority of London’s children have been offered a place at one of their preferred schools. Whilst pupil numbers are continuing to fall, boroughs have worked in close partnership with their local schools to make sure sufficient places are available to meet demand.”
Children had the highest chance of securing their top-choice secondary school in Barking and Dagenham, where 83.1 per cent were allocated their preferred school. However, Greenwich recorded the lowest success rate, with just 60.2 per cent obtaining their first preference this year.
Jon Abbey, chairman of the Pan-London Admissions Board, explained that whilst some families miss out on their first choice when applications for a particular school outstrip available places, sufficient capacity exists across London to satisfy overall demand.
London Councils has forecast a 3.8 per cent reduction in secondary school place requirements over the coming four years, equivalent to approximately 112 classes. The nation as a whole has experienced the effects of declining birth rates on primary school numbers in recent years, though London has witnessed some of the sharpest reductions.
Research by the Education Policy Institute last year revealed that nine of the 10 local authorities experiencing the most significant decreases in primary pupil numbers over the previous five years were located in London. A demographic spike in England has been progressing through secondary schools, however the Department for Education indicated in July that it anticipated pupil numbers would reach their peak in 2026/27.
The overall number of under-16s in England is projected to decrease by 6 per cent throughout the next decade. With schools receiving funding based on pupil numbers, declining enrolment poses a significant challenge, as substantial drops are linked to school closures.
Teach First CEO James Toop said: “In our current system, postcode determines opportunity, not potential. With the best schools carrying expensive postcodes for housing, fewer and fewer disadvantaged pupils are accessing their preferred school, shutting them out of the brilliant education they deserve. This School Offers Day ought to act as a wake-up call to weight funding and financial incentives towards schools and teachers serving the areas and pupils that need them most.”
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