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:
13. Collingham Lady Elizabeth Hastings Church of England Primary School
This year, 33 parents put this maintained primary school out in Collingham down as their top pick. Some 26 first choice offers were handed out – a success rate of over 78%. | Google
14. Morley Victoria Primary School
This year, 76 parents put this primary academy out in Morley down as their top pick. Some 60 first choice offers were handed out – a success rate of almost 79%. | Google
15. Kippax North Primary School
This year, 38 parents put this primary academy out in Kippax down as their top pick. Some 30 first choice offers were handed out – also a success rate of almost 79%. | Google
16. Colton Primary School
This year, 38 parents put this primary academy in the Colton area down as their top pick. Some 30 first choice offers were handed out – again a success rate of almost 79%. | Google
17. St Chad's Church of England Primary School
This year, 34 parents put this primary academy in the West Park area down as their top pick. Some 27 first choice offers were handed out – a success rate of over 79%. | Google
18. St Philip's Catholic Primary School
This year, 36 parents put this maintained primary school in the Middleton area down as their top pick. Some 29 first choice offers were handed out – a success rate of over 80%. | Google