Students in a classroom

High level of students gain first choice secondary school

Over ninety-seven percent of students in Northumberland have gained their first choice of high or secondary school this year.

The county has maintained its very high levels of students who are offered their first choice place at 97.3%, equal to that in 2019.  2.3% received their second choice and only 0.4% their third choice place.  

All students in the county who applied for a secondary school place, therefore, received one of their top three choices.

Northumberland has an excellent record for the percentage of students receiving their first choice of school - with research from the Education Policy Institute (EPI) in 2018 revealing that Northumberland was the local authority area where parents were most likely to get their first choice.

Cllr Wayne Daley, cabinet member for children's services at Northumberland County Council said:  “I am extremely pleased that once again we have an exceptionally high number of families receiving their first choice of secondary or high school.

“As a council we work hard to ensure that there are enough school places in catchment schools for the numbers of students coming through.  

“We also continue to work with our schools to ensure that they provide the very highest standards of education - with the aim that every school should be a school of choice.”
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