Most first-choice places for secondary pupils in the East Riding since 2015, new figures show

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

Parents can put between three and six preferences down for a state school of choice, with the exact number varying between local authorities.

Schools are ranked by order of preference, with pupils allocated to the highest school on the list for which they meet the eligibility criteria.

New figures from the Department for Education show there were 3,255 applicants to secondary schools in the East Riding of Yorkshire this year.

Of these, 96.9% were given a place at their first choice for the 2022-23 school year – the same as the year before, and the highest proportion since 2015-16.

Meanwhile, 99.1% were allocated to one of the schools on their list – up from the year before, when the same figure stood at 99%.

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

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

BThe figures show 95.4% of the East Riding of Yorkshire children were given their first primary school of choice, a drop from the 97.5% in the 2021-22 school yearand the lowest proportion since 2015-16.

Almost every child was given a primary school place on their list, with 98.4% being allocated to one of their preferences.

School standards minister Robin Walker 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 ten years ago, parents can be confident that wherever they live their child will get the high-quality education they deserve.”