Across Leeds, parents of children as young as three will already be looking ahead to find the right local school for them.
Many children enter Reception classes at age four, and even though the new 2025/26 school year has only just begun, applications for a state-funded primary school place for next year are open now. Families will need to apply before January 15 next year in order to have the best chance of landing an offer from one of their preferred schools, with the outcome to be revealed on national offers day a few months later - on April 16.
Amid the open days, school visits, application forms, and efforts to make sure their little one is ready for school life, many parents may be curious just how likely their child is to actually get into the school they want most. While generally the odds are quite good, unfortunately, some children will miss out. Nationwide, about 92.6% got into their first choice of primary school for the 2025/26 school year.
With this in mind, we’ve taken a look at the Department of Education’s latest data on schools across the Leeds City Council area, comparing how many parents put each one down as their top pick, with how many first-choice offers were actually sent out.
Here were the city’s toughest primary schools to get into for the current school year:
1. Roundhay School
The toughest school to get into for the 2025/26 academic year, was this high-achieving, local authority-maintained all-through school in the Roundhay area. A whopping 136 parents put it as their first choice of primary school, but just 57 first choice offers were handed out – a success rate of just under 42%. | Yorkshire Post Newspapers
2. Weetwood Primary School
This year, 52 parents put this maintained primary school in Far Headingley down as their top pick. But just 29 first choice offers were handed out – a success rate of just under 56%. | Google
3. Meanwood Church of England Primary School
This year, 42 parents put this maintained primary school in the Meanwood area down as their top pick. But just 24 first choice offers were handed out – a success rate of just over 57%. | Google
4. Shire Oak VC Primary School
This year, 45 parents put this maintained primary school in the Headingley area down as their top pick. But just 26 first choice offers were handed out – a success rate of nearly 58%. | Google
5. St Anthony's Catholic Primary School, Beeston
This year, 48 parents put this maintained primary school in the Beeston area down as their top pick. But just 29 first choice offers were handed out – a success rate of just over 60%. | Google
6. Crossley Street Primary School
This year, 46 parents put this maintained primary school out in Wetherby down as their top pick. But just 28 first choice offers were handed out – a success rate of almost 61%. | Google