Hull children face stiffest competition for places at ‘outstanding’ schools

HULL has the most competitive catchment areas in the country for “outstanding” secondary school places, according to new research.

The study by mortgage broker Mojo Mortgages revealed that children in Hull faced the most competition for a place, with a total of 3,260 pupils vying for a place at an “outstanding” secondary school, as rated by Ofsted, within five miles of the city centre.

Sunderland was second on the list with 3,139 pupils per school, and Plymouth was third with 3,123 pupils battling for a place.

When it came to primary school rankings, Hull was placed in 22nd position, based on a breakdown of ten “outstanding” primary schools to 3,453 three-year-olds, or 345.3 pupils per school.

Combined rankings across primary and secondary schools saw Hull come in 20th place in the national rankings. This figure was based on a breakdown of 11 outstanding schools (ten primary, one secondary) within five miles of the centre of the Hull to cater for the area’s 6,713 applicable pupils (610.3 pupils per school).

The research analysed the number of three and ten year olds in each local area against the number of outstanding primary and secondary schools, using population data from the Office of National Statistics and the latest inspection reports from Ofsted.

As well as providing insight for parents on their chances for September 2022, the research also looked at how an outstanding school catchment area can affect homeowners, with experts at Zoopla suggesting it can add an extra £29,000 to a property’s value and potentially even more in the most competitive areas such as Hull.

Richard Hayes, CEO and co-founder of Mojo Mortgages, said: “While the 2021/22 academic year may have only just begun, for the parents of three and ten year olds across the country, thoughts will already be turning to applications for September next year.

“We all want to give our children the access to the best possible education and a place at an outstanding school is an obvious way to maximise chances of doing this. However, it’s clear that the opportunities to secure a place at one of these schools does vary quite drastically across England.

“For those living in the most competitive areas and hoping to use catchment areas as a means of securing a place it’s important to be realistic about your chances of finding a property in the coming months.

“Whereas for homeowners in these areas thinking about selling in the near future, this could be a prime opportunity to make your home even more attractive to families before it goes to market.”