Best Schools in Peterborough

How many schools are there in Peterborough?

Peterborough has 116 open schools: 83 state primary, 19 state secondary or all-through, 3 independent, 9 special and 2 others.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Peterborough are rated Outstanding?

6 schools in Peterborough were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: The King's (The Cathedral) School, Fulbridge Academy, Caverstede Nursery School, Hampton Hargate Primary School, Arthur Mellows Village College and 1 more. Counting Good as well, 93% of the 97 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.

The King's (The Cathedral) SchoolFulbridge AcademyCaverstede Nursery SchoolHampton Hargate Primary SchoolArthur Mellows Village College

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Peterborough get the best GCSE results?

Of the 17 schools in Peterborough with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at The King's (The Cathedral) School, with an Attainment 8 score of 60.9 and 70% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; Ormiston Bushfield Academy, with an Attainment 8 score of 48.8 and 51% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and Hampton College, with an Attainment 8 score of 48.3 and 45% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

The King's (The Cathedral) SchoolOrmiston Bushfield AcademyHampton College

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Peterborough have the best SATs results?

Of the 78 primary schools in Peterborough with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at The King's (The Cathedral) School (100% in reading, 93% in maths); Kings Cliffe Endowed Primary School (96% in reading, 96% in maths); and Glapthorn Church of England Primary School (89% in reading, 100% 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.

The King's (The Cathedral) SchoolKings Cliffe Endowed Primary SchoolGlapthorn Church of England Primary School

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Peterborough?

No. None of the state secondary schools in Peterborough 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 Peterborough?

It depends on the school, and the cut-off moves every year with the number of applications. Peterborough published how far the last place offered went at these schools: Arthur Mellows Village College, 2.397 miles for 2026 entry; Fulbridge Academy, 1.024 miles for 2026 entry; Hampton Hargate Primary School, 1.101 miles for 2026 entry; Hampton Lakes Primary School, 0.426 miles for 2026 entry; Heritage Park Primary School, 1.005 miles for 2026 entry. We hold figures for 26 schools in Peterborough; each school's page has its own history. These are the authority's own figures, not fixed boundaries.

Arthur Mellows Village CollegeFulbridge AcademyHampton Hargate Primary SchoolHampton Lakes Primary SchoolHeritage Park Primary School

Source: Peterborough admissions booklets

How do I apply for a school place in Peterborough?

Apply to your council - Peterborough, Cambridgeshire or Lincolnshire, 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.