New data from the Pan-London Admissions Board, released on National Secondary Offer Day 2025, reveals that 94.8% of children set to start secondary school in London this September
have been offered a place at one of their preferred schools.
Among applicants, 71.6% secured a spot at their first-choice school—an increase of 1.1 percentage points from last year. Meanwhile, 90.5% of students (equivalent to 79,184 children) received offers from one of their top three school preferences.
This year, London received 87,512 secondary school applications, marking a 3.1% decline compared to the previous year. However, some boroughs experienced a slight rise in applications.
The fluctuation in application numbers is influenced by various factors, including London's declining birth rate. A report by London Councils forecasts a 2.9% reduction in demand for secondary school places over the next four years, translating to approximately 2,646 fewer Year 7 pupils—equivalent to around 100 fewer classes.
Cllr Ian Edwards, London Councils’ Executive Member for Children and Young People, said:
“We are pleased that the vast majority of London’s children have received offers from one of their preferred schools.
“With falling pupil numbers affecting school resources, boroughs have worked closely with their local schools to ensure there are enough places to meet demand.
“London remains the best-performing region at GCSE level, with 96% of schools rated Good or Outstanding by Ofsted. Families can be confident that their child will receive a high-quality education in the capital.”
Jon Abbey, Chair of the Pan-London Admissions Board, said:
“The Pan-London Admissions Scheme means school places in the capital are distributed in an open and fair way, taking into account the number of places available and eligibility criteria at each school. Where parents and pupils have not been offered their first preference, it is because in some schools the demand for places outstrips supply.
“We can reassure parents that there are sufficient places in London’s secondary schools to meet overall demand. The scheme ensures that families receive an offer at the school highest in their list of preferences for which they are eligible under the admissions criteria.
“We advise parents to read the details of their child’s offer carefully and consider their options fully before making a decision. Please be aware that each London borough has an admissions team and staff are very happy to help if parents have any queries.
“It is a huge task for the admissions team to take into account both the number of places available at each school and the eligibility criteria. I am grateful to the team for ensuring the process of allocating school places to London’s children continues to go smoothly.” Photo by Secretlondon, Wikimedia commons.