The hardest schools to get into in Kingston upon Thames
Secondary: 479 families put Tiffin School first in 2026 and 185 of them (39%) were offered a place - places depend on the 11-plus.
Reception: 103 families put Alexandra Primary School first in 2026 and 60 of them (58%) were offered a place.
Every state school in Kingston upon Thames 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 | Tiffin School · Kingston upon Thames · grammar (11-plus) | 479 | 185 (39%) | 195 |
| 2 | The Tiffin Girls' School · Kingston upon Thames · grammar (11-plus) | 445 | 187 (42%) | 189 |
| 3 | The Kingston Academy · Kingston upon Thames | 306 | 151 (49%) | 210 |
| 4 | Richard Challoner School · New Malden · faith | 234 | 138 (59%) | 150 |
| 5 | The Hollyfield School and Sixth Form Centre · Surbiton | 202 | 145 (72%) | 193 |
| 6 | The Holy Cross School · New Malden · faith | 165 | 128 (78%) | 157 |
| 7 | Tolworth Girls' School and Sixth Form · Surbiton | 229 | 196 (86%) | 255 |
| 8 | Coombe Girls' School · New Malden | 198 | 170 (86%) | 252 |
| 9 | Coombe Boys' School · New Malden | 119 | 111 (93%) | 194 |
| 10 | Chessington School · Chessington | 108 | 108 (100%) | 147 |
| 11 | Southborough High School · Surbiton | 77 | 77 (100%) | 173 |
Primary schools (Reception)
| # | School | Put it first | Of them, offered | Places |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alexandra Primary School · Kingston upon Thames | 103 | 60 (58%) | 60 |
| 2 | St Luke's CofE Primary School · Kingston upon Thames · faith | 38 | 26 (68%) | 30 |
| 3 | Malden Parochial CofE Primary School · Worcester Park · faith | 39 | 28 (72%) | 30 |
| 4 | Castle Hill Primary School · Chessington | 70 | 58 (83%) | 60 |
| 5 | Corpus Christi Catholic Primary School · New Malden · faith | 34 | 29 (85%) | 30 |
| 6 | Knollmead Primary School · Surbiton | 34 | 29 (85%) | 30 |
| 7 | St Paul's CofE Primary School · Chessington · faith | 34 | 30 (88%) | 30 |
| 8 | Burlington Infant and Nursery School · New Malden | 126 | 113 (90%) | 120 |
| 9 | Coombe Hill Infant School · Kingston upon Thames | 88 | 80 (91%) | 90 |
| 10 | St Matthew's CofE Primary School · Surbiton · faith | 59 | 54 (92%) | 60 |
| 11 | Fern Hill Primary School · Kingston upon Thames | 75 | 71 (95%) | 90 |
| 12 | Maple Infants' School · Surbiton | 80 | 78 (98%) | 90 |
| 13 | Grand Avenue Primary and Nursery School · Surbiton | 84 | 84 (100%) | 85 |
| 14 | Tolworth Infant and Nursery School · Tolworth | 79 | 79 (100%) | 85 |
| 15 | Latchmere School · Kingston upon Thames | 60 | 60 (100%) | 73 |
| 16 | Christ Church CofE Primary School · Surbiton · faith | 51 | 51 (100%) | 57 |
| 17 | Lovelace Primary School · Chessington | 45 | 45 (100%) | 48 |
| 18 | King Athelstan Primary School · Kingston upon Thames | 44 | 44 (100%) | 46 |
| 19 | Ellingham Primary School · Chessington | 41 | 41 (100%) | 46 |
| 20 | Green Lane Primary and Nursery School · Worcester Park | 40 | 40 (100%) | 46 |
| 21 | Christ Church New Malden CofE Primary School · New Malden · faith | 37 | 37 (100%) | 39 |
| 22 | King's Oak Primary School · New Malden | 35 | 35 (100%) | 37 |
| 23 | Our Lady Immaculate Catholic Primary School · Surbiton · faith | 23 | 23 (100%) | 25 |
| 24 | St Agatha's Catholic Primary School · Kingston upon Thames · faith | 21 | 21 (100%) | 23 |
| 25 | Malden Manor Primary and Nursery School · New Malden | 20 | 20 (100%) | 29 |
Getting into a school in Kingston upon Thames
What is the hardest school to get into in Kingston upon Thames?
For secondary places, 479 families put Tiffin School first in 2026 and 185 of them (39%) were offered a place - places depend on the 11-plus. For Reception, 103 families put Alexandra Primary School first and 60 of them (58%) were offered a place.
How many families in Kingston upon Thames get their first-choice school?
69.3% of families applying for a secondary place got their first preference, and 90.0% 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 Kingston upon Thames published it in its admissions booklet.