The most in-demand secondary schools in Newport have been revealed in new admissions data from the council as children learn whether they have got their preferred place for this September. Bassaleg School tops the chart for the highest number of preferences and refusals.
A total of 478 preferences were expressed for one of the 330 places on offer at Bassaleg. Caerleon Comprehensive received 86 more applications than it had places for but has 14 spaces remaining as applicants can put in more than one preference and may have accepted offers elsewhere.
The John Frost School had 108 more applications than places and St Julian's received 85 more applications than it has space for. Both are full for starting year seven in September.
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Despite being oversubscribed Bassaleg accepted 39 applications from pupils living out of catchment to start year seven in September. It also turned down 39 preferences expressed and has no places left.
Newport's only Welsh-medium high school was one of the two non-faith maintained schools to receive fewer applications than they had places to offer. Ysgol Gyfun Gwent Is Coed, Newport's first Welsh-medium secondary school, opened in September 2016. From September 2022 Ysgol Gyfun Gwent Is Coed took children from year seven to year 13. It received 116 preferences for 150 places and now has 41 places remaining.
A total of 200 preferences were logged to start at Llanwern High, which was 60 fewer than spaces it had available. The school now has 88 places still free for September.
Parents can express a preference for more than one school, Newport council confirmed. Where the number of applications was equal to or less than the admission number all applications were successful.
Where the number of applications exceeded the admission number the following oversubscription criteria was applied:
- Looked-after children (children in public care) and previously looked-after children
- Pupils living within the catchment area making an application on medical grounds
- Pupils living within the catchment area with relevant siblings
- Pupils living within the catchment area
- Pupils living outside of the catchment area making an application on medical grounds
- Pupils living outside of the catchment area with relevant siblings
- Pupils living outside of the catchment area
- After all the above categories, or if the number of applications in any one of the above categories exceeded the published admission number, priority was based on those living nearest to the preferred school
Numbers of applications and refusals at Newport schools:
Bassaleg School
- Places: 330
- Preferences: 478
- Catchment and high-priority places allocated: 291
- Non-catchment places allocated: 39
- Refusals: 39
- Places remaining: Zero
Caerleon Comprehensive
- Places: 248
- Preferences: 334
- Catchment and high-priority places allocated: 113
- Non-catchment places allocated: 125
- Refusals: Zero
- Places remaining 10
Llanwern High
- Places: 260
- Preferences: 200
- Catchment and high-priority places allocated: 136
- Non-catchment places allocated: 36
- Refusals: Zero
- Places remaining: 88
Lliswerry High
- Places: 212
- Preferences: 238
- Catchment and high-priority places allocated: 142
- Non-catchment places allocated: 41
- Refusals: Zero
- Places remaining: 29
Newport High
- Places: 203
- Preferences: 224
- Catchment and high-priority places allocated: 176
- Non-catchment places allocated: 15
- Refusals: Zero
- Places remaining: 12
St Julian's Comprehensive
- Places: 242
- Preferences: 327
- Catchment and high-priority places allocated: 168
- Non-catchment places allocated: 74
- Refusals: 36
- Places remaining: Zero
The John Frost School
- Places: 248
- Preferences: 356
- Catchment and high-priority places allocated: 236
- Non-catchment: 12
- Refusals: 12
- Places remaining: Zero
Ysgol Gyfun Gwent is Coed
- Places: 150
- Preferences: 116
- Catchment and high-priority places allocated: 106
- Non-catchment: Three
- Refusals: Zero
- Places remaining 41
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