Record success for secondary school admissions across the county
Thousands of families across the county are celebrating today as National Offer Day reveals a significant rise in pupils securing places at their preferred secondary schools.
Data released this morning shows that both Telford & Wrekin Council and Shropshire Council have achieved their best placement results in recent years, with the vast majority of Year 6 pupils set to attend one of their top-choice schools this September.
Telford & Wrekin: A Three-Year High
Telford and Wrekin Council saw a strong performance in school placements, successfully allocating all 2,187 on-time applicants to a school, with over 97% of pupils securing one of their preferred choices—an improvement on the previous three years.
Of these, 1,824 pupils (more than 83%) were awarded their first preference, marking the highest proportion in the last three years.
The remaining preferred placements included 215 pupils (nearly 10%) receiving their second choice, 71 (just over 3%) securing their third, and 13 (less than 1%) being allocated their fourth preference.
Councillor Shirley Reynolds, Cabinet Member for Children, Young People, Education, Employment and Skills, praised the success of the borough’s school expansion programme:
"Moving from primary to secondary school is a big milestone... Through our continued expansion, we’re creating hundreds of additional places to meet growing demand, helping us maintain high numbers of pupils securing a place at one of their preferred schools."
Shropshire Council: Exceptional Results
Neighbouring Shropshire Council reported equally impressive statistics, with nearly 99% of parents being offered one of their ranked preferences.
Out of 2,845 on-time applications, the council achieved a first-preference success rate of over 91%, representing 2,591 children.
A further 172 pupils (6.04%) were allocated their second choice, while 35 (1.23%) and 12 (0.42%) secured their third and fourth preferences, respectively.
Overall, 2,809 children were successfully placed in one of their preferred schools, leaving just 36 pupils (1.26%) to be allocated an alternative placement.
Andy Hall, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for children and education, expressed his delight:
"This year almost 99% of Shropshire parents have been offered a place at one of their preferred schools, which is really pleasing."
Information for Parents
Parents and carers across both authorities will receive confirmation via email today. Results are also accessible through the respective Parent Portal accounts on the council websites.
Families of children with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) have already been notified of their allocations as part of a separate process.
As schools prepare for the autumn intake, the focus now shifts to transition days and induction programmes to help the new Year 7 cohort adjust to their new environments.
