The hardest schools to get into in Barnet
Secondary: 164 families put St Mary's and St John's CofE School first in 2026 and 69 of them (42%) were offered a place.
Reception: 67 families put Livingstone Primary and Nursery School first in 2026 and 28 of them (42%) were offered a place.
Every state school in Barnet with at least 20 first-choice applicants, hardest first. Of the families who put the school first on their application, the share who were offered a place there. Data: Department for Education.
Secondary schools (Year 7)
| # | School | Put it first | Of them, offered | Places |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | St Mary's and St John's CofE School · London · faith | 164 | 69 (42%) | 81 |
| 2 | Queen Elizabeth's School, Barnet · Barnet · grammar (11-plus) | 432 | 189 (44%) | 192 |
| 3 | Wren Academy Finchley · London · faith | 215 | 104 (48%) | 113 |
| 4 | The Archer Academy · London | 244 | 122 (50%) | 147 |
| 5 | JCoSS · New Barnet · faith | 306 | 156 (51%) | 170 |
| 6 | The Henrietta Barnett School · London · grammar (11-plus) | 220 | 116 (53%) | 120 |
| 7 | Mill Hill County High School · London | 324 | 199 (61%) | 232 |
| 8 | Hasmonean High School for Boys · London · faith | 94 | 59 (63%) | 63 |
| 9 | Ashmole Academy · London | 347 | 226 (65%) | 252 |
| 10 | St Michael's Catholic Grammar School · London · grammar (11-plus) | 177 | 119 (67%) | 127 |
| 11 | The Compton School · London | 204 | 140 (69%) | 204 |
| 12 | Menorah High School for Girls · London · faith | 75 | 53 (71%) | 53 |
| 13 | Christ's College Finchley · London | 120 | 86 (72%) | 164 |
| 14 | East Barnet School · Barnet | 213 | 171 (80%) | 200 |
| 15 | Ark Pioneer Academy · Barnet | 167 | 139 (83%) | 170 |
| 16 | The Totteridge Academy · London | 128 | 108 (84%) | 167 |
| 17 | London Academy · Edgware | 128 | 112 (88%) | 150 |
| 18 | Queen Elizabeth's Girls' School · Barnet | 146 | 128 (88%) | 204 |
| 19 | Finchley Catholic High School · London · faith | 169 | 151 (89%) | 180 |
| 20 | Hasmonean High School for Girls · London · faith | 83 | 77 (93%) | 85 |
| 21 | St James' Catholic High School · London · faith | 135 | 135 (100%) | 210 |
| 22 | Saracens High School · London | 123 | 123 (100%) | 170 |
| 23 | Clarion · London | 99 | 99 (100%) | 150 |
| 24 | Hendon School · London | 71 | 71 (100%) | 200 |
| 25 | Copthall School · London | 60 | 60 (100%) | 113 |
| 26 | St Andrew the Apostle Greek Orthodox School · London · faith | 56 | 56 (100%) | 113 |
| 27 | Bishop Douglass School Finchley · London · faith | 35 | 35 (100%) | 125 |
| 28 | Friern Barnet School · London | 29 | 29 (100%) | 102 |
Primary schools (Reception)
| # | School | Put it first | Of them, offered | Places |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Livingstone Primary and Nursery School · Barnet | 67 | 28 (42%) | 28 |
| 2 | Monken Hadley CofE Primary School · Barnet · faith | 33 | 17 (52%) | 20 |
| 3 | Wren Academy Finchley · London · faith | 106 | 55 (52%) | 57 |
| 4 | Ashmole Primary School · London | 115 | 60 (52%) | 60 |
| 5 | Chalgrove Primary School · London | 45 | 27 (60%) | 28 |
| 6 | Courtland School · London | 46 | 28 (61%) | 30 |
| 7 | St John's CofE Primary and Nursery School · London · faith | 46 | 28 (61%) | 29 |
| 8 | Rimon Jewish Primary School · London · faith | 49 | 30 (61%) | 30 |
| 9 | Akiva School · London · faith | 90 | 57 (63%) | 59 |
| 10 | The Hyde School · London | 92 | 60 (65%) | 60 |
| 11 | Independent Jewish Day School · LONDON · faith | 42 | 30 (71%) | 30 |
| 12 | Sacks Morasha Jewish Primary School · London · faith | 37 | 27 (73%) | 31 |
| 13 | Woodridge Primary School · London | 36 | 27 (75%) | 30 |
| 14 | Sunnyfields Primary School · London | 36 | 27 (75%) | 30 |
| 15 | Blessed Dominic Catholic Primary School · London · faith | 76 | 58 (76%) | 59 |
| 16 | Goldbeaters Primary School · Edgware | 73 | 56 (77%) | 58 |
| 17 | St Andrew's CofE Voluntary Aided Primary School, Totteridge · London · faith | 35 | 27 (77%) | 30 |
| 18 | Whitings Hill Primary School · Barnet | 71 | 55 (78%) | 60 |
| 19 | Foulds School · Barnet | 53 | 42 (79%) | 44 |
| 20 | Menorah Primary School for Boys · London · faith | 37 | 30 (81%) | 30 |
| 21 | Menorah Primary School for Girls · London · faith | 32 | 26 (81%) | 28 |
| 22 | Northside Primary School · London | 28 | 23 (82%) | 30 |
| 23 | Shalom Noam Primary School · Edgware · faith | 35 | 29 (83%) | 29 |
| 24 | Beit Shvidler Primary School · Edgware · faith | 34 | 29 (85%) | 29 |
| 25 | St Mary's CofE Primary School, East Barnet · Barnet · faith | 30 | 26 (87%) | 29 |
| 26 | Manorside Primary School · London | 31 | 27 (87%) | 29 |
| 27 | Trent CofE Primary School · Barnet · faith | 32 | 28 (88%) | 30 |
| 28 | London Academy · Edgware | 33 | 29 (88%) | 30 |
| 29 | The Orion Primary School · London | 120 | 106 (88%) | 119 |
| 30 | St Catherine's RC School · Barnet · faith | 61 | 54 (89%) | 60 |
| 31 | St Agnes' Catholic Primary School · London · faith | 60 | 54 (90%) | 60 |
| 32 | Frith Manor Primary School · London | 54 | 49 (91%) | 59 |
| 33 | Moss Hall Infant School · London | 81 | 75 (93%) | 91 |
| 34 | Monkfrith Primary School · London | 54 | 50 (93%) | 59 |
| 35 | Pardes House Primary School · London · faith | 56 | 52 (93%) | 52 |
| 36 | Beis Yaakov Primary School · London · faith | 61 | 58 (95%) | 58 |
| 37 | St Mary's CofE Primary School · London · faith | 56 | 54 (96%) | 59 |
| 38 | Mathilda Marks-Kennedy Jewish Primary School · London · faith | 29 | 28 (97%) | 29 |
| 39 | Menorah Foundation School · EDGWARE · faith | 30 | 29 (97%) | 30 |
| 40 | Woodcroft Primary School · EDGWARE | 31 | 30 (97%) | 30 |
| 41 | Colindale Primary School · London | 67 | 65 (97%) | 89 |
| 42 | Martin Primary School · London | 61 | 61 (100%) | 70 |
| 43 | Brookland Infant and Nursery School · Hampstead Garden Suburb | 56 | 56 (100%) | 83 |
| 44 | Saracens Broadfields · Edgware | 53 | 53 (100%) | 56 |
| 45 | Parkfield Primary School · London | 51 | 51 (100%) | 60 |
| 46 | Barnfield Primary School · Edgware | 51 | 51 (100%) | 58 |
| 47 | St Mary's and St John's CofE School · London · faith | 49 | 49 (100%) | 55 |
| 48 | Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Primary School · London · faith | 47 | 47 (100%) | 55 |
| 49 | Danegrove Primary School · Barnet | 47 | 47 (100%) | 58 |
| 50 | Edgware Primary School · Edgware | 42 | 42 (100%) | 44 |
| 51 | Garden Suburb Infant School · London | 42 | 42 (100%) | 60 |
| 52 | Rosh Pinah Primary School · Edgware · faith | 42 | 42 (100%) | 44 |
| 53 | Millbrook Park Primary School · London · faith | 40 | 40 (100%) | 43 |
| 54 | Watling Park School · Barnet | 39 | 39 (100%) | 43 |
| 55 | The Annunciation Catholic Infant School · Edgware · faith | 36 | 36 (100%) | 40 |
| 56 | Brunswick Park Primary and Nursery School · London | 35 | 35 (100%) | 44 |
| 57 | Cromer Road Primary School · Barnet | 34 | 34 (100%) | 58 |
| 58 | St Joseph's Catholic Primary School · London · faith | 34 | 34 (100%) | 40 |
| 59 | Deansbrook Infant School · London | 33 | 33 (100%) | 37 |
| 60 | Osidge Primary School · London | 33 | 33 (100%) | 50 |
| 61 | St Vincent's Catholic Primary School · London · faith | 32 | 32 (100%) | 34 |
| 62 | Underhill School · Barnet | 25 | 25 (100%) | 30 |
| 63 | Holly Park Primary School · London | 25 | 25 (100%) | 31 |
| 64 | Queenswell Infant & Nursery School · London | 25 | 25 (100%) | 39 |
| 65 | Saracens Bell Lane · London | 24 | 24 (100%) | 40 |
| 66 | Wessex Gardens Primary School · London | 23 | 23 (100%) | 30 |
| 67 | Childs Hill Primary School · London | 22 | 22 (100%) | 30 |
| 68 | Our Lady of Lourdes RC School · London · faith | 21 | 21 (100%) | 27 |
| 69 | St Paul's CofE Primary School N11 · London · faith | 20 | 20 (100%) | 20 |
| 70 | Etz Chaim Jewish Primary School · London · faith | 20 | 20 (100%) | 25 |
Getting into a school in Barnet
What is the hardest school to get into in Barnet?
For secondary places, 164 families put St Mary's and St John's CofE School first in 2026 and 69 of them (42%) were offered a place. For Reception, 67 families put Livingstone Primary and Nursery School first and 28 of them (42%) were offered a place.
St Mary's and St John's CofE SchoolLivingstone Primary and Nursery School
How many families in Barnet get their first-choice school?
72.7% of families applying for a secondary place got their first preference, and 86.1% of those applying for Reception did (offers for September 2026).
Does putting a school first improve our chances?
Not at the other schools you name. Councils in England use an equal-preference system: every school you list is considered against its own admissions criteria, and if more than one could offer a place you get the one you ranked highest. So list schools in your genuine order of preference, and include at least one you are very likely to get.
What does "last distance offered" mean?
For schools that give places by distance, it is how far from the school the last child offered a place under that criterion lived. It changes every year with the number and location of applicants, so treat it as a guide, not a guarantee. We show it where Barnet published it in its admissions booklet.