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:
7. Horsforth Featherbank Primary School
This year, 46 parents put this maintained primary school out in Horsforth down as their top pick. But just 29 first choice offers were handed out – a success rate of about 63%. | Google
8. Talbot Primary School
This year, 95 parents put this maintained primary school in the Roundhay area down as their top pick. But just 60 first choice offers were handed out – a success rate of just over 63%. | Google
9. Roundhay St John's Church of England Primary School
This year, 34 parents put this primary academy in the Roundhay area down as their top pick. But just 25 first choice offers were handed out – a success rate of over 73%. | Google
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10. Beecroft Primary School
This year, 57 parents put this maintained primary school in the Kirkstall area down as their top pick. But just 42 first choice offers were handed out – a success rate of nearly 74%. | Google
11. Cookridge Primary School
This year, 57 parents put this maintained primary school in the Cookridge area down as their top pick. But just 42 first choice offers were handed out – one again a success rate of nearly 74%. | Google
12. Bardsey Primary Academy
This year, 39 parents put this primary academy out in Bardsey down as their top pick. Some 30 first choice offers were handed out – a success rate of just under 77%. | Google