SHROPSHIRE Council is one of the top councils for first preference and preferred school placements in the West Midlands, latest figures from the Department for Education show.

Figures released this week for secondary and primary applications and offers statistics place Shropshire near the top of the West Midlands table.

The secondary and primary school applications and offers statistics provide the number of applications and offers made for secondary and primary school entry in September 2023, and the proportion which received preferred offers.

For secondary schools, Shropshire Council is ranked third, with 96.5 per cent of offers for a preferred secondary school, and 89.7 per cent securing their first preference, beating the England averages of 95.6 per cent and 82.6 per cent.

For primary school placements Shropshire Council also took second place in the West Midlands table, with 99.0 per cent of offers for a preferred school, and 95.7 per cent achieving first preference for their primary school, again topping the national averages of 98.6 per cent and 92.5 per cent.

Kirstie Hurst-Knight, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for children and education, said: “I am delighted that we continue to rank so highly compared with other councils in the region. It has been a particularly challenging year for secondary applications, given the exceptionally large numbers of children transferring from primary schools this year.

“The tremendous efforts of our senior secondary school leaders in accommodating such large numbers this year has made this possible and so our thanks are extended to them.

“Our primary school ranking also achieved an excellent result, coming second.

“The council’s long-term strategy, initiated in 2016, of securing the right number of school places, in the right locations and at the right time, has been highly successful and has contributed to these results.

“We’re currently launching another review which will lead to the production of the next five-to-ten-year plan for additional places in mainstream, specialist and early years provision to ensure that we maintain and even improve on our current position in the years ahead.

“This is a fantastic achievement, and I would like to thank our school admissions team and everyone else involved in helping make this happen.”