Number of pupils offered first-choice secondary school declines
The number of 11-year olds that have been offered their first-choice school in England is at its lowest since 2010.
According to government statistics, 83.5 per cent of applicants this year received offers from their first choice schools. This is down from 84.1 per cent last year.
The last time that over 16 per cent of applicants were not offered their first choice school was in 2010.
The proportion receiving on offer of any of their preferences dropped slightly to 96.1 per cent in 2017, from 96.5 per cent in 2016.
The statistics also show that in 2017, 562,487 applications for a secondary school place were received, an increase of 2.6 per cent on 2016 and the highest number of applications received since 2008 (568,723).
The government says that the system is “rising to the challenge” of providing more school places.
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