Where is a first-choice secondary place hardest to get?
DfE ยท Sept 2026 entry- Liverpool 68%
- Oldham 75%
- Manchester 77%
- Knowsley 78%
- Blackburn with Darwen 79%
- Stockport 80%
- Trafford 81%
- Blackpool 85%
- Salford 86%
- Tameside 87%
- Rochdale 87%
- Bolton 87%
- Lancashire 87%
- Warrington 89%
- Sefton 89%
- Bury 91%
- Wigan 91%
- Cheshire East 93%
- St. Helens 93%
- Cheshire West and Chester 95%
- Cumberland 95%
- Wirral 95%
- Halton 96%
- Westmorland and Furness 96%
Local authorities compared
Medians are of schools, not pupils
Sorted by the median secondary school's applications per place for September 2026, highest first.
| Local authority | Secondary per place | First choice | Attainment 8 | KS2 expected | Report cards |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trafford | 3.1 | 81% | 52.6 | 73% | 11 |
| Rochdale | 2.7 | 87% | 43.3 | 60% | 10 |
| Stockport | 2.7 | 80% | 49.2 | 65% | 25 |
| Lancashire | 2.6 | 87% | 43.8 | 63% | 129 |
| Blackburn with Darwen | 2.5 | 79% | 41.0 | 63% | 16 |
| Manchester | 2.5 | 77% | 48.5 | 60% | 26 |
| Liverpool | 2.4 | 68% | 40.1 | 60% | 33 |
| Tameside | 2.4 | 87% | 43.4 | 62% | 20 |
| Sefton | 2.3 | 89% | 42.9 | 59% | 18 |
| Bury | 2.2 | 91% | 43.2 | 64% | 12 |
| Wirral | 2.1 | 95% | 39.4 | 56% | 27 |
| Wigan | 2.1 | 91% | 45.5 | 67% | 21 |
| Bolton | 2.1 | 87% | 45.4 | 66% | 26 |
| St. Helens | 2.1 | 93% | 43.9 | 62% | 18 |
| Cheshire West and Chester | 2.0 | 95% | 46.6 | 63% | 33 |
| Cheshire East | 2.0 | 93% | 48.0 | 67% | 21 |
| Halton | 2.0 | 96% | 37.5 | 61% | 8 |
| Warrington | 1.9 | 89% | 46.3 | 70% | 10 |
| Oldham | 1.9 | 75% | 44.5 | 59% | 13 |
| Cumberland | 1.9 | 95% | 41.5 | 56% | 24 |
| Knowsley | 1.8 | 78% | 34.8 | 59% | 17 |
| Blackpool | 1.6 | 85% | 35.2 | 57% | 8 |
| Westmorland and Furness | 1.6 | 96% | 42.1 | 60% | 28 |
| Salford | 1.6 | 86% | 46.1 | 63% | 23 |