The most in-demand state secondary schools in Cardiff have been revealed in the most recent statistics.
Parents have found out if their children have got into their school of choice for the school year starting in September 2021 and have until March 15 to accept offers.
Nine state secondary schools in the city had more applications than places to start this September. Three were so oversubscribed they had to turn away some applicants living in catchment.
Cardiff High was once again the most oversubscribed maintained secondary in the city. It had to turn down 336 applications compared with 369 last year and 321 in 2019. It currently accepts 240 children every year but received 576 applications this year.
Even when it expands to accept 300 children a year under the council’s future plans it is still likely to remain the most oversubscribed secondary school in Cardiff.
Cardiff Council said the number of children getting a place in one of their preferred schools has increased and there are spaces for every child.
The list, from Cardiff Council, does not include applications and offers to Whitchurch High or the city’s religious secondary schools – Corpus Christi, Bishop of Llandaff, St Teilo's, Mary Immaculate, and St Illtyd's – which are expected imminently. Applications to some of these are not done through the same process as applications to maintained secondary schools.
A council spokesman said: “Cardiff has established coordinated admissions so that preferences for the 12 community schools plus Corpus Christi, St Teilo’s and Whitchurch High are included on one application form.
“This provides a fuller picture when it comes to places available and applications made but it will still take time for places offered and accepted at The Bishop of Llandaff, Mary Immaculate and St Illtyd’s to filter through the system.”
“This year 92.3% of applicants that requested a high school place through the coordinated admissions process secured one of their stated preferences and 91.7% of children applying for a community secondary school place have been offered one of their top three choices.”
Applicants can apply for up to five secondary schools. This year applications received by the deadline through coordinated admissions was 93.3% – up from 86% in 2020.
Catchment areas continue to be reviewed as new schools open and existing schools expand, the council said.
Whitchurch High runs its own applications as a foundation school which means a foundation owns the land and buildings while it is funded by the local authority.
Secondary schools across Wales will start bringing all pupils back from Monday, March 15, as lockdown eases.
These schools were so oversubscribed for September 2021 they had to turn away some children living in catchment
Cardiff High
240 places
336 refused
The last allocated place was to someone living 1.677 miles away (within catchment area).
Eastern High
270 places
49 refused
The last allocated place was to someone living 1.6 miles away (within catchment area).
Fitzalan High
300 places
164 refused
The last allocated place was to someone living 1.642 miles away (within catchment area).
These schools were oversubscribed but didn’t need to refuse places to any applicants living in catchment
Radyr Comprehensive
210 places
154 refused
The last allocated place was to someone living 1.446 miles away.
Cantonian High
181 places
30 refused
The last allocated place was to someone living 2.517 miles away.
Cathays High
240 places
Five refused
The last allocated place was to someone living 6.083 miles away.
Llanishen High
300 places
51 refused
The last allocated place was to someone living 3.489 miles away.
Ysgol Glantaf
240 places
10 refused
The last allocated place was to someone living 1.654 miles away.
Ysgol Plasmawr
210 places
16 refused
The last allocated place was to someone living 4.784 miles away.
Cardiff West Community High
240 places
0 refused
Willows High
224 places
0 refused
Ysgol Bro Edern
180 places
0 refused
