West Sussex is sixth most competitive area for outstanding primary schools in the UK, says new campaign

Education software specialist The Access Group created its ‘school squeeze’ campaign to show which areas have the highest volume of pupils entering primary schools this year.

The company said that there are 16 outstanding schools in West Sussex with 8858 children moving to primary education in the next academic year. This means there are 554 children per outstanding school.

The Access Group said the average infant school class size in 2022 was 26.7, so a two-form intake would be between 53 and 54 pupils.

Sussex World has created a list of the 27 West Sussex secondary schools that are the hardest to get into here.

Jane Gibson, product manager (education) at The Access Group, said: “Admissions is a stressful time for parents as your child’s school can have a big impact on their future. Even on a smaller scale, if you fail to get into your first-choice school, there’s a risk of being separated from friends, or you might add on extra travel time to get your child to the school gates every morning.

“Schools also often ‘hold their breath’ at this time of year too. Pupil numbers can affect their funding, which in turn can lead to difficult decisions regarding staffing levels, budget allocation and more – but with specialist education technology such as school finance software and school payments software, it’s easier to cope with fluctuating numbers and ensure there are adequate resources to provide a great education.”

The Access Group said it created the research by comparing the number of children set to attend primary school in the 2023/2024 academic year to the number of primary schools per local authority.

According to The Access Group, the ten most squeezed local authorities for outstanding primary school access are: Torbay (1211.5 children entering primary school in 23/24 per outstanding school), Dudley (998 children per outstanding school), Peterborough (695), Doncaster (582.2), Portsmouth (561.6), West Sussex (553.6), Ealing (537.4), Coventry (511.7), East Riding of Yorkshire (499) and Barking and Dagenham (486.7).

Applications for primary school admission for 2023/24 entry close on Sunday, January 15.

Visit www.theaccessgroup.com.