Nearly nine out of ten families in Bath and North East Somerset have been offered a place at their first choice of secondary school for admissions this September.

Bath & North East Somerset Council received 1,881 applications from B&NES residents for secondary school places for admission into the 2023/2024 academic year, slightly down on 1,887 for the previous year.

Of the applications 98.2% received one of their overall preferences with 91.7% allocated a place at their highest preferred school, making up a total of 1,724 pupils.  Last year the figure for first preference was 89.2 per cent.

Figures show one hundred and five pupils received an offer of their second preference of school, sixteen pupils their third preference, and no pupils their fourth preference or  fifth preference. 

Thirty-four pupils have not been offered a place at any of their preferences and have instead been offered a place at their next nearest school with a place available, which is known as a referral.

All Bath and North East Somerset pupils who made an on-time application have been offered a place.

Councillor Dine Romero, cabinet member for Children and Young People, Communities and Culture, said: “This is a big day for our families with children heading off to secondary school in September, it can be a stressful experience, so I’m pleased that 1,724  children have received the good news today that they have been given their first preference. 

“We have great schools in Bath and North East Somerset and I wish all our Year Six children the very best for their transition to secondary school.”