91 per cent of West Sussex families offered preferred primary school place

Families all over the county found out which schools their children would be attending on Primary school offer day yesterday (April 17) – and the vast majority of them got their preferred place.

West Sussex County Council says officers have worked hard to ensure every child is offered a place, processing 9,200 applications; a considerable increase on last year’s total of 8,606.

Some 7,792 applicants have been offered their first choice, and 98.6 per cent of all applicants will be heading to a school in their top three, the County Council said.

The admissions team also processed 1,408 applications for children transferring from infant to junior school. More than 99 per cent of those who applied will be offered their first preference school.

Cllr Jacquie Russell, Cabinet Member for Children, Young People, Learning and Skills, said: “I am pleased that such a high percentage of families have been offered a place at their preferred primary school. Starting school is an important milestone in a child’s life and this step into formal education is key to helping them achieve their full potential.

“We understand that the small percentage of families who did not get one of their preference places will be disappointed. I would encourage families in this position to contact our admissions team, who are available to discuss their options and provide support with this.”

To contact the admissions team please email [email protected] or [email protected]. If you are unable to use email, please call our customer services team on 033 301 42903