News, events and schools' information for families across Bath and West Wiltshire

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 1,887 applications from B&NES residents for secondary school places for admission into the 2022/2023 academic year, up on 1,845 for the previous year.

More than 89% of children have been allocated a place at their highest preferred school, making up a total of 1,681 children.

Figures show 128 pupils have been offered a place at their second preference of school, 28 pupils their third preference, four pupils their fourth preference and three pupils their fifth preference, meaning 97.9% received one of their overall preferences.

Forty-one 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, “Securing a secondary school place for your child can be a stressful experience, so I’m delighted that the vast majority of families in B&NES will receive the good news today that they have been given their first preference. Once again the number of children needing a place has gone up, so I’m delighted that 89.2% of families have got their first choice and that we’ve been able to offer all children a place.

“I hope our young people and their families are looking forward to the new horizons that secondary school brings and I wish them the very best for their transition from Year Six to Year Seven.”