YOUNG people in Dorset and Wiltshire are today finding out which secondary or upper school they will attend next year.

In the Dorset Council area, 98.3 per cent of applicants have been offered their first choice of secondary school, and just under 97.6 per cent offered their upper school of choice.

Cllr Byron Quayle, Dorset Council portfolio holder for children, education and early help, said: “We understand how important school choice is for families, and the team here work exceptionally hard to listen to families and do their very best by them.

“I am delighted that most in the Dorset Council area have been offered their first choice of senior or upper school.

“I wish the students the very best of luck as they get ready to join their new schools in September.”

From 9.30am this morning (March 1), parents and carers were able to log on to their online account and see the outcome of their application.

In addition, where an email address has been submitted as part of the application, families will be sent a link to get their formal outcome letter.

Overall, Dorset Council processed 3,413 applications for 2024 entry, with 94.2% of parents and carers opting to complete their applications online.

In Wiltshire, 99% of Wiltshire families have been offered one of their three secondary school preferences for this September.

Youngsters progressing to ‘big school’ have been receiving news of their allocation today, with 95% offered their first preference, Wiltshire Council said.

The total number of applications received decreased slightly, due to the number of children transferring to secondary school in September 2024 being lower than in 2023. Just over 5,000 (5,036) applications were received, 51 less than in 2023.

The majority of parents applied online, with 99% or 4,987 submitted digitally, while just 49 submitted paper applications.