Nailsea and Backwell secondary school admission numbers for 2013

Four secondary schools in North Somerset were oversubscribed for their September intake.

More than two thousand secondary age children will starting 'big' school in September 2013.

The number of applications for a secondary school places in North Somerset this year is 2,194 which is only marginally lower than in 2012 when it was 2,199 children.

However, the percentage of children offered places at their first choice school in 2013 is 91.8 per cent against 2012 when it was 98.9 per cent.

Four schools were deemed over-subscribed when the admission letters went out this month.

They are:

• Backwell School which had 473 applications for 266 places;
• Broadoak Mathematics and Computing College which had 307 applications for 180 places;
• Priory Community School which had 536 applications for  240 places; and
• Worle Community School which had 474 applications for 300. 

The most popular secondary in North Somerset is Priory Community School at Weston-super-Mare.

North Somerset Council executive member children and young people services Jeremy Blatchford said: "Priory is a very high performing school and parents are going to opt for it whenever they can.

"Generally parents in Weston are very much more positive and aspiration than five or six years ago and many are demonstrating a higher level of selectively."

The biggest year intake will be at Gordano School with 306 pupils starting in September including 16 out-of-area students.

Next is Worle School with 300 out of which 62 put the comprehensive down as its second choice and nine its third choice.

Backwell School will have 266 starting in September with surprisingly one pupil which put the successful secondary down as its third choice.

Churchill Academy and Sixth Form is looking forward to welcoming 237 new faces in Year 7; Clevedon Community School 187; Broadoak Mathematics and Computing College at Weston-super-Mare 180; the new head teacher Chris Wade will greet 170 11 and 12-year-olds at Nailsea School; St Katherines at Pill 137 including 71 out-of-area children; and Hans Price Academy at Weston-super-mare 104 even though only 63 put the down the school formerly known at Wyvern as its first choice.

A council spokesman said when allocating places priority is given to children with special educational needs, children in care or children who were previously in care, children with siblings already attending the school, children of staff employed at the school and those living in close proxity to the school.

Parents have the option of putting their children on a waiting list for its preferred school or if a place does not become available they can appeal the decision.