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Schools across Peterborough

Local authority · 91 schools across 2 towns

New inspection results and open days, weekly by email.

Year 7 applications for September 2027 close in 5 days

Deadline Saturday 31 October 2026. Apply to Peterborough (the council where you live). Offers on 1 March.

Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days

Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Peterborough (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.

Schools in Peterborough (91)

Showing 20 of 91 schools

Total Schools

91

61 primary · 12 secondary

Total Pupils

40,976

88% capacity used

Ofsted Rated

33

3 outstanding · 30 good

Capacity

46,828

5,852 spare places

Ofsted Ratings

30
56
Outstanding: 3
Good: 30
Requires Improvement: 2
Not inspected: 56

Area Performance (2026)

Attainment 8

42.1

GCSE Eng+Maths

41.1%

School Capacity

Primary Schools

84% full
20,451 pupils24,307 capacity

3,856 spare places

Secondary Schools

91% full
13,791 pupils15,105 capacity

1,314 spare places

Pupil Absence

Avg Overall Absence

6.2%

2024/25

Avg Persistent Absence

16.9%

2024/25

Schools Reporting

79

2024/25

Absence trend across Peterborough schools

4.6%
18/19
4.5%
20/21
7.3%
21/22
6.8%
22/23
6.5%
23/24
6.2%
24/25

Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Average across all open schools in this LA.

EHCP Timeliness

Issued Within 20 Weeks

58%

Plans Issued

460

Assessment Requests

770

Tribunal Cases

3

EHCP timeliness trend (% issued within 20 weeks)

66%
2019
38%
2020
68%
2021
71%
2022
69%
2023
86%
2024
58%
2025

Source: DfE EHCP timeliness statistics. Shows how quickly this LA issues Education, Health and Care Plans.

Admission Appeals

2026 admission appeals by school phase

Primary

3,510 admissions

74

Lodged

(2.1%)

46

Heard

9

Successful

(20%)

Primary (infant classes)

2,892 admissions

35

Lodged

(1.2%)

20

Heard

5

Successful

(25%)

Secondary

3,725 admissions

126

Lodged

(3.4%)

93

Heard

4

Successful

(4%)

Total

7,235 admissions

200

Lodged

(2.8%)

139

Heard

13

Successful

(9%)

Total appeals lodged per year

436
2019
364
2020
357
2021
421
2022
415
2023
356
2024
420
2025
435
2026

Source: DfE admission appeals statistics. Shows how competitive school places are in this area.

Questions parents ask about schools in Peterborough

How many schools are there in Peterborough?

Peterborough has 91 open schools: 61 state primary, 17 state secondary or all-through, 2 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, 92% of the 75 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 15 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 58 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); Barnack CofE (Controlled) Primary School (95% in reading, 95% in maths); and John Clare Primary School (91% in reading, 95% 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) SchoolBarnack CofE (Controlled) Primary SchoolJohn Clare 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 25 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 Peterborough 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.