Fewer pupils getting into first choice school in Oxfordshire

Figures from the Department for Education show there were 7,288 applicants to high schools in the county this year.

Of those, 88.1 per cent were given a place at their first choice for the 2022/23 academic year – down from 88.7 per cent the year before.

Meanwhile, 96.3 per cent were allocated one of the schools on their list – also down from the year before, when the same figure stood at 97.2 per cent.

READ ALSO: Dance school wins incredible 51 trophies to qualify for final

In April, pupils starting at primary and secondary schools this year found out which one they would be attending.

Parents and carers can put four preferences down for a state school in Oxfordshire, with schools ranked by order of preference.

If pupils do not receive an offer from any of their preferences, they are given a place at another school.

The figures show 91.5 per cent of Oxfordshire children were given their first primary school of choice, a drop from 93 per cent in the 2021/22 school year.

Almost every child was given a primary school place on their list, with 98.6 per cent being allocated to one of their preferences.

Fewer secondary school pupils in Oxfordshire are starting at their first choice in September. Picture: Danny Lawson/ PA Wire

Emily Hunt, associate director at the Education Policy Institute think tank, said these statistics only tell ‘part of the story’.

“We know from our research that first choice offer rates vary considerably across the country, as does the availability of high-performing schools to apply to,” she said.

“The criteria used to determine whether a pupil is offered a place can also make it difficult for pupils who are unable to live nearby.

“For those parents that have not been offered their first choice, many will consider the use of the appeals and waiting lists system.

“Our own research has shown that navigating these can be difficult, with pupils from more affluent backgrounds being more likely to succeed via these routes.”

READ MORE: Councillor says amber warning activated as services could be cut

Across the whole of the south east, 91.2 per cent were allocated their first choice primary school, and 83.3 per cent of incoming secondary pupils landed their first pick.

Across England, 83.3 per cent of more than 600,000 applicants are going to their first choice of secondary school in September, up from 81.1 per cent last year.

Robin Walker, the Government’s school standards minister, said: “It’s fantastic to see the overwhelming majority of prospective primary and secondary pupils once again receive offers from their preferred schools.

“We are continuing to drive forward work to level up the quality of education across the country, and with pupils already far more likely to go to a good school than they were 10 years ago, parents can be confident that wherever they live their child will get the high-quality education they deserve.”

A message from our Editor

Thank you for reading this story and supporting the Oxford Mail.

If you like what we do please consider getting a subscription for the Oxford Mail and in return we’ll give you unrestricted access with less adverts across our website from the latest news, investigations, features, and sport.

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Tik Tok for more. 

You can also join the conversation in our Facebook groups: stay ahead of traffic alerts here, keep up to date with the latest from court here, share your favourite memories of Oxford here, get your daily dose of celebrity news here and take some time out with news that will make you smile. 

If you’ve got a story for our reporters, send us your news here. You can also list an event for free here.