One in four pupils miss out on first choice secondary school in Sandwell
One in four children have missed out on their first choice of secondary school in Sandwell.
New figures released by Sandwell Council reveals 73.43 per cent of applicants secured their preferred choice, meaning 26.57 per cent missed out.
Meanwhile one in ten pupils missed out on their top three preferences. The figures showed 89 per cent of applicants were accepted into their top three choices of schools.
Last year, Sandwell was below the West Midlands average for gaining first choice secondary schools place. The regional figure was 80.3 per cent, while in Sandwell the figure was 74.6 per cent.
It means in one year, the acceptance rate has dropped by one per cent in Sandwell.
Councillor Simon Hackett, cabinet member for children's services said: "It's good news that we continue to offer such a high percentage of parents their preferred choices.
"We've worked hard on making sure we meet demand for school places and have proposals for brand new schools to open in the coming years. We are also committed to expand our existing schools to make sure more parents get their preferred choice."
