A new school year has officially begun and whilst National Offer Day may feel like a lifetime away, it was a tense time for many families and unfortunately not all children received the school allocation they had wished for.
According to Lancashire County Council, 86.1% of children were awarded their first-choice school but that meant 13.9% were left disappointed.
The latest available DfE figures show which Lancashire secondary schools were the hardest to get into in September 2025 so take a look at the 15 toughest schools below...
5. St Cecilia's RC High School (12)
135 pupils put this school as their first choice but only 104 first choice offers were handed out which is a success rate of 77.04% | Google
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6. Balshaw's Church of England High School (11)
215 pupils put this school as their first choice but only 164 first choice offers were handed out which is a success rate of 76.28% | Google Maps
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7. Albany Academy (10)
135 pupils put this school as their first choice but only 102 first choice offers were handed out which is a success rate of 75.56% | Google Maps
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8. St Mary's Catholic High School, Leyland (9)
209 pupils put this school as their first choice but only 155 first choice offers were handed out which is a success rate of 74.16% | Google Maps