Across England, 8% of primary school applicants and 17% of secondary school applicants did not get a place at their first choice school, affecting nearly 150,000 children in total.
In the South East, 8.8% of applicants did not get into their first choice primary school and 16.7% did not secure a place at their preferred secondary school. This meant 8,312 primary and 16,978 secondary aged children did not get a place at their first choice school.
Inner London was found to have the hardest schools to get into in the country. One in every eight children (13%) did not get into their first choice primary school. This rose to one in three (33%) for secondary school places.
How competitive is it to get into your local primary school? Here we reveal which primary schools in the Lewes, Newhaven, Seaford and Wealden areas are the hardest to get into.
1. Parkside Community Primary School, Heathfield
Parkside Community Primary School had 47 applicants put the school as a first preference but only 30 of these were offered places. This means 17 or 36.2% did not get a place. Photo: Google
2. Stonegate Church of England Primary School, Ticehurst
Stonegate Church of England Primary School had 21 applicants put the school as a first preference but only 15 of these were offered places. This means 6 or 28.6% did not get a place. Photo: Google
3. Harbour Primary & Nursery School, Newhaven
Harbour Primary & Nursery School had 79 applicants put the school as a first preference but only 60 of these were offered places. This means 19 or 24.1% did not get a place. Photo: Peter Cripps
4. Hailsham Community College, Hailsham
Hailsham Community College had 75 applicants put the school as a first preference but only 57 of these were offered places. This means 18 or 24% did not get a place. Photo: Peter Cripps