The hardest schools to get into in Herefordshire, County of
Secondary: 145 families put Fairfield High School first in 2026 and 106 of them (73%) were offered a place.
Reception: 47 families put Stretton Sugwas CofE Academy first in 2026 and 30 of them (64%) were offered a place.
Every state school in Herefordshire, County of 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 | Fairfield High School · Hereford | 145 | 106 (73%) | 107 |
| 2 | St Mary's RC High School · Hereford · faith | 189 | 144 (76%) | 146 |
| 3 | Weobley High School · Hereford | 128 | 106 (83%) | 107 |
| 4 | Wigmore School · Leominster | 93 | 86 (93%) | 88 |
| 5 | Whitecross Hereford · Hereford | 193 | 182 (94%) | 186 |
| 6 | The Bishop of Hereford's Bluecoat School · Hereford · faith | 189 | 184 (97%) | 215 |
| 7 | John Kyrle High School and Sixth Form Centre Academy · Ross-on-Wye | 167 | 167 (100%) | 180 |
| 8 | John Masefield High School · Ledbury | 133 | 133 (100%) | 142 |
| 9 | The Hereford Church of England Academy · Hereford · faith | 115 | 115 (100%) | 127 |
| 10 | Queen Elizabeth High School · Bromyard | 78 | 78 (100%) | 84 |
| 11 | Earl Mortimer College · Leominster | 68 | 68 (100%) | 88 |
| 12 | Kingstone High School · Hereford | 59 | 59 (100%) | 80 |
| 13 | Aylestone School · Hereford | 56 | 56 (100%) | 67 |
| 14 | Lady Hawkins' School · Kington | 44 | 44 (100%) | 44 |
Primary schools (Reception)
| # | School | Put it first | Of them, offered | Places |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stretton Sugwas CofE Academy · Hereford · faith | 47 | 30 (64%) | 30 |
| 2 | St Francis Xavier's Primary School · Hereford · faith | 40 | 30 (75%) | 30 |
| 3 | The Steiner Academy Hereford · Hereford | 32 | 24 (75%) | 24 |
| 4 | Hampton Dene Primary School · Hereford | 37 | 29 (78%) | 30 |
| 5 | Holmer CofE Academy · Hereford · faith | 60 | 55 (92%) | 60 |
| 6 | St James' Church of England Primary School · Hereford · faith | 31 | 29 (94%) | 30 |
| 7 | Riverside Primary School · Hereford | 89 | 86 (97%) | 87 |
| 8 | Ashperton Primary Academy · Ledbury | 30 | 29 (97%) | 29 |
| 9 | St Paul's CofE Primary School · Hereford · faith | 57 | 56 (98%) | 60 |
| 10 | Trinity Primary School · Hereford | 65 | 65 (100%) | 72 |
| 11 | Marlbrook Primary School · Hereford | 55 | 55 (100%) | 56 |
| 12 | Ledbury Primary School · Ledbury | 51 | 51 (100%) | 51 |
| 13 | Lord Scudamore Primary Academy · Hereford | 50 | 50 (100%) | 52 |
| 14 | Leominster Primary School · Leominster | 36 | 36 (100%) | 36 |
| 15 | St Martin's Primary School · Hereford | 33 | 33 (100%) | 35 |
| 16 | St Joseph's RC Primary School and Nursery · Ross-on-Wye · faith | 29 | 29 (100%) | 29 |
| 17 | Mordiford CofE Primary School · Hereford · faith | 28 | 28 (100%) | 30 |
| 18 | St Peter's Primary School · Bromyard | 27 | 27 (100%) | 27 |
| 19 | Much Birch CofE Primary School · Hereford · faith | 26 | 26 (100%) | 26 |
| 20 | Walford Nursery & Primary School · Ross-on-Wye | 26 | 26 (100%) | 27 |
| 21 | Kingstone and Thruxton Primary School · Hereford | 25 | 25 (100%) | 25 |
| 22 | Sutton Primary Academy · HEREFORD | 25 | 25 (100%) | 26 |
| 23 | Gorsley Goffs Primary School · Ross-on-Wye | 24 | 24 (100%) | 27 |
| 24 | St Thomas Cantilupe CofE Academy · Hereford · faith | 24 | 24 (100%) | 28 |
| 25 | Colwall CofE Primary School and Nursery · Malvern · faith | 22 | 22 (100%) | 22 |
| 26 | Orleton CofE Primary School · Ludlow · faith | 22 | 22 (100%) | 22 |
| 27 | Our Lady's RC Primary School · Hereford · faith | 22 | 22 (100%) | 23 |
| 28 | Kington Primary School · Kington | 21 | 21 (100%) | 21 |
| 29 | Ashfield Park Primary School · Ross-on-Wye | 20 | 20 (100%) | 20 |
Getting into a school in Herefordshire, County of
What is the hardest school to get into in Herefordshire, County of?
For secondary places, 145 families put Fairfield High School first in 2026 and 106 of them (73%) were offered a place. For Reception, 47 families put Stretton Sugwas CofE Academy first and 30 of them (64%) were offered a place.
How many families in Herefordshire, County of get their first-choice school?
91.9% of families applying for a secondary place got their first preference, and 96.3% 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 Herefordshire, County of published it in its admissions booklet.