More than 90 per cent of Year 6 pupils in Hampshire have been offered their first-choice secondary school for September 2026, according to the latest figures released by Hampshire County Council.
Of the 13,880 on-time applications submitted this year, 90.09 per cent of children have secured a place at their preferred school. Overall, more than 97 per cent (13,548 pupils) have been offered a place at one of their top three choices.
The total number of applications represents a slight decrease compared to last year, with 350 fewer submissions than the 14,230 received for September 2025 admissions.
Councillor Steve Forster, Executive Member for Education, praised the efforts of the admissions team, highlighting the scale and complexity of the process.
He said: “A huge thank you to our admissions team who continue to do an incredible job year on year, processing thousands of applications and working hard to accommodate parents’ preferences as far as possible.
“For those who didn’t get a place at their preferred school, please do check our website where you’ll find information about the support available in this situation.”
Pupils who were not offered a place at any of their three preferred schools have instead been allocated a space at their catchment school or the nearest available alternative. Parents in this position have the right to appeal and will automatically be placed on waiting lists for schools where their application was unsuccessful.
The council has advised that places can become available through waiting lists for a number of reasons, including families relocating or parents changing their school preferences.
Parents who applied online have already been notified of their child’s placement via email and can also access the information through the council’s secure admissions portal. Those who submitted paper applications without providing an email address will receive their offers by post within the next few days.
Further guidance, including frequently asked questions and details on school transport eligibility, is available via the council’s admissions webpages.
Meanwhile, the admissions team has now turned its attention to processing primary school applications, with offers for those places due to be issued on 16 April 2026.