Pupils from these areas are more likely to get a place at their first-choice secondary school. Pupils from these areas are more likely to get a place at their first-choice secondary school.
Pupils from these areas are more likely to get a place at their first-choice secondary school.

Secondary school offers: the 22 England areas where you’re most likely to get your child’s first choice school

Pupils from these areas are more likely to get a place at their first-choice secondary school.

Hiyah Zaidi
By Hiyah Zaidi
21st Jul 2022, 2:49pm

More pupils will be heading to their top choice of secondary school in September after government figures revealed a rise in first preference offers across England.

For the 2022/2023 academic year, 83.3% of secondary pupils gained a place at their first preference school, according to Department for Education (DfE) figures, up from 81.1% for the 2021/2022 year.

In total, there were 614,000 applications received across secondary schools in England – which was a 1.5% increase from 2021 –  of which 511,000 pupils gained their first preference. The number of applications for the coming school year was the highest recorded since current figures from the DfE began in 2014.

But pupils in some parts of England are much more likely than others to be heading to their first choice school in September.

In the best performing local authority area, 98% of pupils got their first choice preference, compared to just 61% in the bottom ranked area.

The 22 council areas where the highest percentage of applicants got their first choice are listed below.

In total, there were 614,000 applications received across secondary schools in England – which was a 1.5% increase from 2021 –  of which 511,000 pupils gained their first preference. The number of applications for the coming school year was the highest recorded since current figures from the DfE began in 2014.

For the 2022-2023 academic year, Wiltshire has a first offer preference rate of 95%. They received 5,240 applications, and gave first preference offers to 4,999 of those applications.

5. Wiltshire

For the 2022-2023 academic year, Wiltshire has a first offer preference rate of 95%. They received 5,240 applications, and gave first preference offers to 4,999 of those applications.

Out of the 1,911 applications received in Northumberland, 1,816 people got their first preference, making their first preference percentage for the 2022-2023 academic year 95%.

6. Northumberland

Out of the 1,911 applications received in Northumberland, 1,816 people got their first preference, making their first preference percentage for the 2022-2023 academic year 95%.

Hartlepool had a 95% first preference rate for the 2022-2023 academic year. They received 1,136 applications and gave 1,078 first preference offers.

7. Hartlepool

Hartlepool had a 95% first preference rate for the 2022-2023 academic year. They received 1,136 applications and gave 1,078 first preference offers.

Suffolk has a first percentage offer rate of 95%, with 7,497 applications received and 7,101 offers given for the 2022-2023 academic year.

8. Suffolk

Suffolk has a first percentage offer rate of 95%, with 7,497 applications received and 7,101 offers given for the 2022-2023 academic year.

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