Nearly nine in 10 pupils in West Sussex receive first-choice secondary school

Nearly nine in 10 pupils in West Sussex were admitted to their first-choice secondary school, new figures show. The Association of School and College Leaders said the rising number of secondary school pupils is putting pressure on applications, especially in more affluent areas that have schools with good or outstanding Ofsted ratings. Department for Education figures show 9,302 children applied for a place at a secondary school in West Sussex for the 2023-24 academic year. Of them, 8,092 (87%) were admitted to their first choice, while 8,978 (96.5%) received a place from at least one school in their top three choices. Nationally, 82.6% of secondary school applicants received an offer from their first choice for 2023-24 – down from 83.3% the year before – while the proportion securing a place from any of their favoured schools fell slightly from 95.8% in 2022-23 to 95.6%. Geoff Barton, general secretary of the ASCL, said the slight fall in pupils receiving their first offer could be due to the rising number of applications – some 619,991 pupils applied for a secondary school place for 2023-24, the highest number since records began in 2014-15. But in West Sussex, the total number of applications fell. Despite this, the proportion of children receiving their first choice also decreased. Mr Barton said: "The rising number of secondary-age pupils is putting additional pressure on places, particularly in schools located within affluent areas that have an outstanding or good Ofsted rating. "Conversely, there are other schools in more challenging circumstances in other areas that are stigmatised by negative Ofsted ratings and are struggling to recruit pupils to fill their place numbers. "It is an absolutely ridiculous situation, and the Government should focus more on investing the money and support that is needed to ensure every community has good school places on their doorstep." Meanwhile, a record number of primary-aged pupils across the country received a place at their preferred school for 2023-24 – some 92.5% were offered their first choice, up from 92.2% in 2022-23 and the highest figure since 2014-15. However, there was also a record low number of applications, with just 568,560 children fighting for the school places. In West Sussex, 7,930 of 8,675 children (91.4%) secured a place at their first preference. Schools minister Nick Gibb said: "It is great to know that up and down the country families are able to make the right choice for their child, enrolling them in a school and environment that they feel will best support their child to learn and develop. "Today’s figures attest to the Government’s priority in providing good quality school places, which will ensure every child has the opportunity to meet their potential."