More than three-quarters of pupils in Sandwell were admitted to their first-choice secondary school, new figures show.
The Association of School and College Leaders said the rising number of secondary school pupils is putting pressure on applications, especially in more affluent areas that have schools with good or outstanding Ofsted ratings.
Department for Education figures show 4,716 children applied for a place at a secondary school in Sandwell for the 2023-24 academic year.
Of them, 3,709 (78.6%) were admitted to their first choice, while 4,376 (92.8%) received a place from at least one school in their top six choices.
Areas that allow children to select more than three preferred schools generally have a lower first-choice acceptance rate as parents tend to be a little more speculative with their applications.
Nationally, 82.6% of secondary school applicants received an offer from their first choice for 2023-24 – down from 83.3% the year before – while the proportion securing a place from any of their favoured schools fell slightly from 95.8% in 2022-23 to 95.6%.
Geoff Barton, general secretary of the ASCL, said the slight fall in pupils receiving their first offer could be due to the rising number of applications – some 619,991 pupils applied for a secondary school place for 2023-24, the highest number since records began in 2014-15.
In Sandwell, the total number of applications rose as well. Meanwhile, the proportion of children receiving their first choice decreased, as would be expected.
Meanwhile, a record number of primary-aged pupils across the country received a place at their preferred school for 2023-24 – some 92.5% were offered their first choice, up from 92.2% in 2022-23 and the highest figure since 2014-15.
However, there was also a record low number of applications, with just 568,560 children fighting for the school places.
In Sandwell, 3,741 of 3,941 children (94.9%) secured a place at their first preference.
With this in mind, we’ve take a closer look at the figures to unveil the 12 hardest Sandwell secondary schools to get into.
1. Sandwell Academy
36% of parents who made it their first choice were offered a place for their child. A total of 295 applicants had the school as their first choice but did not get in | Google
2. West Bromwich Collegiate Academy, West Bromwich
63% of parents who made it their first choice were offered a place for their child. A total of 71 applicants had the school as their first choice but did not get in | Google
3. Shireland Collegiate Academy, Smethwick (secondary)
72% of parents who made it their first choice were offered a place for their child. A total of 84 applicants had the school as their first choice but did not get in | Google
4. St Michael’s Church of England High School, Rowley Regis
73% of parents who made it their first choice were offered a place for their child. A total of 83 applicants had the school as their first choice but did not get in | Google