New data shows most Sheffield households will be happy with where their child goes when they start in Y7 this September.
But for the parents disappointed they didn’t get their first place, they may be comforted to know some Sheffield schools are just that much harder to get into.
Figures have revealed nearly nine in 10 pupils in the Steel City got their first-choice secondary school for the upcoming academic year when allocated by the city council – and also show which schools had to turn down the most children who had them as their preferred place to go.
See our gallery below to see which Sheffield schools were the hardest to get into for the 2023/24 academic year and turned away the most children who had them as a ‘first choice’.
The schools are ranked by the percentage of applicants who had school as their first choice and got in, worked out by looking at how many places were offered to those who put them as their first preference compared with how many children who had them as their top choice were turned down.
The most difficult to get into for the upcoming academic year was Mercia School, which offered all 180 of its places to children who put it as a first place. But the school also had to turn away 107 children who had it as their top choice. It means 63 per cent of applicants who had the school as its top choice got in.
The ‘Outstanding’ rated school offered no places to children who placed it as their second or third choice when they applied for a secondary school place for the new school year.
Out of 6,549 children who applied for a secondary school in Sheffield for the 2023/24 academic year, 5,806 – or 88.7 per cent – got a place at their first choice. And 96.4 per cent got a place in at least one school in their top three choices.
5. #4 - Forge Valley School
The fourth most exclusive secondary school in Sheffield for 2023/24 is the 'Good' rated Forge Valley School. Out of 321 children who had it as their first choice, Forge Valley turned down 34 of them. It means one in five pupils who had Forge Valley as their top choice were turned away, while 7 places were also offered to children who put them down as their second or third choice. Photo: Alastair Ulke
6. #5 - Oasis Academy Don Valley
The fifth most exclusive secondary school in Sheffield for 2023/24 is the 'Good' rated Oasis Academy Don Valley. Out of 180 children who had it as their first choice, Oasis Academy turned down 34 of them. It means one in five pupils who had Oasis Academy as their top choice were turned away, while also offering 12 places to children who put them down as their second or third choice. Photo: JPI
7. #6 - Notre Dame High School
The sixth most exclusive secondary school in Sheffield for 2023/24 is the 'Good' rated Notre Dame High School. Out of 255 children who had it as their first choice, Notre Dame turned down 47 of them. It means one in five pupils who had Notre Dame as their top choice were turned away, while just two places were also offered to children who put them down as their second or third choice. Photo: JPI Media
8. #7 - Tapton School
The seventh most exclusive secondary school in Sheffield for 2023/24 is the 'Outstanding' rated Tapton School. Out of 309 children who had it as their first choice, Tapton turned down 55 of them. It means one in five pupils who had Tapton as their top choice were turned away, while 14 places were also offered to children who put them down as their second or third choice. Photo: Google