Across England, 8% of primary school applicants and 17% of secondary school applicants did not get a place at their first choice school, affecting nearly 150,000 children in total.
In the South East, 8.8% of applicants did not get into their first choice primary school and 16.7% did not secure a place at their preferred secondary school. This meant 8,312 primary and 16,978 secondary aged children did not get a place at their first choice school.
Inner London was found to have the hardest schools to get into in the country. One in every eight children (13%) did not get into their first choice primary school. This rose to one in three (33%) for secondary school places.
How competitive is it to get into your local primary school? Here we reveal which primary schools in the Horsham area are the hardest to get into.
Inner London was found to have the hardest schools to get into in the country. One in every eight children (13%) did not get into their first choice primary school. This rose to one in three (33%) for secondary school places.
![Colgate Primary School had 23 applicants put the school as a first preference but only 17 of these were offered places. This means 6 or 26.1% did not get a place.](https://www.sussexexpress.co.uk/webimg/b25lY21zOmYwNmQ3N2Y1LWFmNzktNGNlMy05NmFmLTM3MjJiZmVkNGVlMjowODk3NmI3NS0xYzRlLTQ5YzYtYmQwYi1kMjlmZTJiNmFlNjQ=.jpg?crop=3:2&trim=&width=640)
9. Colgate Primary School, Colgate
Colgate Primary School had 23 applicants put the school as a first preference but only 17 of these were offered places. This means 6 or 26.1% did not get a place.Photo: Steve Robards
![Heron Way Primary School had 68 applicants put the school as a first preference but only 56 of these were offered places. This means 12 or 17.6% did not get a place.](https://www.sussexexpress.co.uk/webimg/b25lY21zOmI2ZDkzMzBlLWY2OTEtNDVkMS05OGJlLTI2ZjJlZDJmNDA0ODpkNzRlYzI0Ny02MjNkLTQ2NDUtOWNkMS04ZDk4Yjg5MjA2YjE=.jpg?crop=3:2&trim=&width=640)
10. Heron Way Primary School, Horsham
Heron Way Primary School had 68 applicants put the school as a first preference but only 56 of these were offered places. This means 12 or 17.6% did not get a place.Photo: Google
![St Mary’s CofE Primary School had 17 applicants put the school as a first preference but only 14 of these were offered places. This means 3 or 17.6% did not get a place.](https://www.sussexexpress.co.uk/webimg/b25lY21zOmQ0MzY4Y2JlLTFlYmYtNGIyZS1hN2U1LWRlYjRmNzQ0M2RkYjoxOTFmN2RiOC1hZDRkLTQwNWMtOWMwYy02YzM2MWM4YTE1ZWY=.jpg?crop=3:2&trim=&width=640)
11. St Mary’s CofE Primary School, Washington
St Mary’s CofE Primary School had 17 applicants put the school as a first preference but only 14 of these were offered places. This means 3 or 17.6% did not get a place.Photo: Google
![Billingshurst Primary School had 99 applicants put the school as a first preference but only 84 of these were offered places. This means 15 or 15.2% did not get a place.](https://www.sussexexpress.co.uk/webimg/b25lY21zOmM2MzA2ZDdjLTAzYjktNDgzZS1iZjhiLTMwMjY4ODc0MDM3YTpmNWY4ZWY4MC0zZDY4LTQwZTctYTVkMi04MDY2NjRlMGI1ODY=.jpg?crop=3:2&trim=&width=640)
12. Billingshurst Primary School, Billingshurst
Billingshurst Primary School had 99 applicants put the school as a first preference but only 84 of these were offered places. This means 15 or 15.2% did not get a place.Photo: Steve Robards