Best Schools in Milton Keynes

How many schools are there in Milton Keynes?

Milton Keynes has 122 open schools: 85 state primary, 19 state secondary or all-through, 4 independent, 10 special and 4 others.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Milton Keynes are rated Outstanding?

12 schools in Milton Keynes were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: Two Mile Ash School, Russell Street School, Watling Academy, Caroline Haslett Primary School, White Spire School and 7 more. Counting Good as well, 91% of the 98 graded schools here are rated Good or better. Ofsted stopped giving single-word overall grades in September 2024, so these are the grades from each school's last full inspection.

Two Mile Ash SchoolRussell Street SchoolWatling AcademyCaroline Haslett Primary SchoolWhite Spire School

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Milton Keynes get the best GCSE results?

Of the 16 schools in Milton Keynes with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at Denbigh School, with an Attainment 8 score of 56.2 and 64% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; Oakgrove School, with an Attainment 8 score of 53.5 and 62% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and Watling Academy, with an Attainment 8 score of 49.1 and 53% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

Denbigh SchoolOakgrove SchoolWatling Academy

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Milton Keynes have the best SATs results?

Of the 57 primary schools in Milton Keynes with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at Middleton Primary School (96% in reading, 98% in maths); Priory Rise School (97% in reading, 94% in maths); and Whitehouse Primary School (94% in reading, 92% in maths). Small schools can swing a long way from one year to the next, because each pupil is a large share of the result.

Middleton Primary SchoolPriory Rise SchoolWhitehouse Primary School

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Milton Keynes?

No. None of the state secondary schools in Milton Keynes selects pupils by ability, so every state secondary here is comprehensive.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

How close do you need to live to get into schools in Milton Keynes?

It depends on the school, and the cut-off moves every year with the number of applications. Milton Keynes published how far the last place offered went at these schools: Monkston Primary School, 0.696 miles for 2027 entry; Middleton Primary School, 1.029 miles for 2026 entry; Shenley Brook End School, 1.997 miles for 2026 entry; Two Mile Ash School, 2.924 miles for 2026 entry; Watling Academy, 1.732 miles for 2026 entry. We hold figures for 10 schools in Milton Keynes; each school's page has its own history. These are the authority's own figures, not fixed boundaries.

Monkston Primary SchoolMiddleton Primary SchoolShenley Brook End SchoolTwo Mile Ash SchoolWatling Academy

Source: Milton Keynes admissions booklets

How do I apply for a school place in Milton Keynes?

Apply to your council - Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire or Central Bedfordshire, depending on your address - through its coordinated admissions process, even for academies and faith schools. In England the closing date is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts. Independent schools run their own admissions, so apply to those directly.