More city children get preferred secondary school this year

More children than last year in Brighton & Hove have been offered their first preference school in this year’s secondary schools application round – despite an increase in the number of applications received.

The percentage of first preferences offered by Brighton & Hove City Council for a secondary school place for September is 81.35% - up slightly from 81.17% last year.

Nineteen more children than last year have been offered their first preference school – 1,976 this year against 1,957 last year.

This year the number of on-time applications was 2,429 – slightly up from 2,411 last year. Overall, 95.64% of people applying were offered one of their three preferred schools.

The figures for this year’s secondary school allocations (2016-17) are as follows:

Total number of preferences 2,429

First preferences offered: 1,976 (81.35%)

Second preferences offered: 279 (11.49%)

Third preferences offered: 68 (2.8%)

Directed to nearest school with available places: 106 (4.36%)

Last year’s figures (2015-16) were:

Total preferences 2,411

First preferences offered: 1,957 (81.17%)

Second preferences offered: 267 (11.07%)

Third preferences offered: 86 (4.19%)

Directed to nearest school with available places: 101 (4.19%)

As in previous years, any pupils who were not offered a catchment area school (or a higher preference) either applied late or didn’t express a preference for their catchment school or both schools if they live in a dual catchment area.

The pupils involved have been offered places at the nearest schools to their home address that had spare spaces.