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Secondary school offers in Somerset: offer day 2027

National Offer Day Monday 1 March 2027 · 25 secondary schools · first-choice odds, waiting lists and appeals

How likely is a first choice here?

For September 2026 entry, 92.1% of families living in Somerset were offered their first-choice secondary school, against 83.6% across England. 109 families (2.3%) were offered none of the schools they named. Somerset ranks 123 of 150 councils in England, hardest first (see every council).

6 of its 25 secondary schools had more first-choice applications than places.

The most sought-after, by first-choice applications per place offered: Brymore Academy (1.8 per place), The Castle School (1.4 per place), Bishop Fox's School (1.3 per place), Chilton Trinity School (1.1 per place), Westfield Academy (1.1 per place).

If you didn't get your first choice

  1. Accept the place you were offered by the date in your offer letter. Accepting it does not affect a waiting list or an appeal, and a place that isn't accepted can be withdrawn.
  2. Get on the waiting lists you want. Every school must keep one until at least 31 December of the year your child starts. It is ranked by the school's admission rules, not by when you joined, so a family moving closer can go above you. Some councils add you automatically for schools you ranked higher than the one offered; your offer letter says which.
  3. Decide whether to appeal. You can appeal for every school that refused your child. You get at least 20 school days from the offer to lodge it, and on-time appeals must be heard within 40 school days of that deadline. The figures below show how often appeals succeed here.
  4. Look at schools that took lower preferences. These are the likeliest to have room now.

Schools that took children who ranked them lower

For September 2026 entry these 16 schools offered more places than they had first-choice applications, so some went to families who put them second or lower. They are the likeliest to have room after offer day; ask Somerset or the school.

Every secondary school: demand for 2026 entry

Sorted by first-choice applications per place, the most contested first.

SchoolPlaces offeredFirst choices per place First choices offered
Brymore Academy
Bridgwater
34 1.8 56%
The Castle School
Taunton
237 1.4 70%
Bishop Fox's School
Taunton
224 1.3 72%
Chilton Trinity School
Bridgwater
198 1.1 85%
Westfield Academy
Yeovil
208 1.1 92%
Court Fields School
Wellington
192 1.1 93%
St Dunstan's School
Glastonbury
99 1.0 100%
Wadham School
Crewkerne
87 1.0 100%
Whitstone
Shepton Mallet
95 1.0 100%
Holyrood Academy
Chard
207 1.0 100%
Huish Episcopi Academy
LANGPORT
199 1.0 100%
Sexey's School
Bruton
98 1.0 100%
The King Alfred School
Highbridge
225 1.0 100%
Ansford Academy
Castle Cary
87 1.0 100%
Crispin School Academy
Street
185 1.0 100%
The Blue School
Wells
197 1.0 100%
Stanchester Academy
Stoke-sub-Hamdon
146 0.9 100%
Buckler's Mead School
Yeovil
152 0.9 100%
Robert Blake Academy
Bridgwater
195 0.9 100%
Haygrove School
Bridgwater
211 0.9 100%
Preston School Academy
Yeovil
205 0.9 100%
Bridgwater College Academy
Bridgwater
120 0.9 100%
King Arthur's School
Wincanton
60 0.9 100%
Kingsmead Academy
Taunton
167 0.8 100%
Monkton Wood Academy
Taunton
264 0.7 100%

Places offered is the number of offers made on national offer day, and first choices offered the share of families who put the school first and got it (Department for Education, September 2026 entry).

Appeals in Somerset

YearAppeals lodgedHeard by a panel UpheldShare of heard appeals upheld
2025/26133 99 10 10.1%
2024/25200 116 17 14.7%
2023/24185 133 23 17.3%

Secondary school appeals across all of Somerset, from the Department for Education. Appeals are not published school by school. Across England in 2025/26, 19.5% of 27,084 secondary appeals heard were upheld. How appeal odds differ between councils.

More for Somerset

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