Record number of children in Milton Keynes receive ‘first choice’ secondary school place

Thousands of MK pupils find out today (1 March) which secondary school they’ll be moving to in September.

Despite a record number of secondary school applications, an increase of 155 children on last year, more children have been allocated their first preference.

In the last ten years, the City Council has created capacity for 13,601 new school places for local children; building seven new schools and helping 27 existing schools expand.

For places in the coming school year, Milton Keynes City Council received 4,010 applications by the 31 October deadline (compared to 3,855 in 2023) with 95% gaining one of their top four preferred schools, and 81% of children securing their first choice.

Councillor Zoe Nolan, Cabinet Member for Children and Families, said: “Despite the increased volume of secondary school applications this year, we’ve been able to place more children in a preferred school. It’s thanks to the efforts of our dedicated school admissions team and the fantastic network of local schools who have stepped up to the challenge to make this possible.“Our city is a popular location for families moving to this area and we’re committed to having a good school place ready for every child. We’ll continue to invest in our network of local schools alongside opening new schools to meet increasing demand."

A small number of late applications received will be processed during April. Parents who still need to make an application should complete a late application form which is available on the council’s website