Sir John Lawes School: admissions history
How many families applied, how many places there were, and how far the last place went - every year we hold.
For September 2026 entry, 259 families put Sir John Lawes School as their first choice and 751 named it as one of their preferences, for 187 places offered. That is 1.4 first choices for every place. 80 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
First-choice demand has risen from 172 in 2021 to 259 in 2026, while places went from 193 to 187.
Across Hertfordshire, 77% of families were offered their first-choice secondary school for 2026 entry, and 95% were offered one of the schools they named.
In 2025, families in Hertfordshire lodged 814 appeals against secondary school offers; 519 reached a hearing and 109 succeeded (21% of those heard).
Applications and offers by year
| Entry year | Places offered | First choices | Named at all | First choices per place | First choices not offered |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 187 | 259 | 751 | 1.4 | 80 |
| 2025 | 183 | 256 | 704 | 1.4 | 81 |
| 2024 | 199 | 238 | 766 | 1.2 | 61 |
| 2023 | 204 | 217 | 786 | 1.1 | 37 |
| 2022 | 197 | 234 | 834 | 1.2 | 50 |
| 2021 | 193 | 172 | 746 | 0.9 | 3 |
| 2020 | 185 | 177 | 768 | 1.0 | 22 |
| 2019 | 192 | 263 | 870 | 1.4 | 90 |
| 2018 | 191 | 245 | 867 | 1.3 | 67 |
| 2017 | 191 | 228 | 811 | 1.2 | 47 |
| 2016 | 192 | 252 | 822 | 1.3 | 70 |
| 2015 | 193 | 234 | 878 | 1.2 | 73 |
| 2014 | 193 | 208 | 786 | 1.1 | 34 |
Source: DfE, Primary and secondary school applications and offers (school-level file). "Places offered" is the number of offers made on national offer day, which can differ from the school's published admission number.