Devon sees another rise in secondary school first preferences for September

Devon County Council has reported a significant increase in the number of families being allocated their first choice of secondary school places for the upcoming academic year.

Figures released on March 3 show that 93.5 per cent of families who applied for a secondary school place for September have been offered their first preference. 

This is up from 92.5 per cent last year and 90.4 per cent the year before.

The figures indicate that nearly all families will be allocated one of their three preferences, with 98.2 per cent receiving one of their top three choices. 

Of those, 4.1 per cent have been allocated their second preference, and 0.5 percent their third preference. 

In comparison, last year, 97.8 per cent of families were given one of their three preferences.

A total of 7,398 allocations have been made for Devon’s mainstream secondary schools, which include pupils with Education, Health, and Care Plans who have been prioritised for placement in mainstream schools according to the Department for Education's admissions code.

Devon County Council’s admissions team have notified parents of their school placements on March 3 and have said they will be available to address any queries, supported by the schools' team at Devon’s Customer Service Centre.

Andrew Leadbetter, Devon’s Cabinet Member for Schools, commented: “When the national statistics are released, it’s likely that Devon will, once again, have one of the best figures for meeting school preferences.

“It is a testament to the hard work of our admissions and school organisation teams and the partnership and co-operation we have received from the heads, staff, and governors of Devon’s secondary schools that more than nine out of 10 families have received their first preference and the number is up on last year.”

He added: “These are obviously early statistics and are quite likely to improve even more before September as appeals are heard and other factors are taken into account, such as parents not taking up places they have been offered.”