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.
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.
![Western Road Community Primary School had 31 applicants put the school as a first preference but only 30 of these were offered places. This means 1 or 3.2% did not get a place.](https://www.sussexexpress.co.uk/webimg/b25lY21zOjU1OWIyNzRiLWYyODItNDI1Yy1iMjBhLWNjYzZiMWIyMDE4ZTphZGNiNDdiZi05NmUwLTRkZTktYjY1Ni01MWNhMDAwMTE0ZDM=.jpg?crop=3:2&trim=&width=640)
29. Western Road Community Primary School, Lewes
Western Road Community Primary School had 31 applicants put the school as a first preference but only 30 of these were offered places. This means 1 or 3.2% did not get a place.Photo: Stephen Curtis