Blackpool offers some of the best chances in country for an outstanding school place

These figures were calculated by a mortgage brokering firm as secondary school application season nears an end.
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With secondary school applications for September 2022 closing in three weeks times, on October 31, new data has revealed that pupils across Blackpool have some of the best chances in the country of securing an outstanding primary or secondary school place.

The research from mortgage broker Mojo Mortgages analysed the number of three and ten year olds in each local area against the number of outstanding primary and secondary schools, based on Ofsted’s latest inspection reports.

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Blackpool placed fourth in the overall rankings for having the best access to outstanding schools, with 19 outstanding schools (13 primary and 6 secondary) within five miles of the centre of Blackpool catering for 3,277 pupils aged three and ten-year-olds, which equated to 172.5 pupils per outstanding school.

New research places Blackpool fourth in terms of outstanding school places available per pupil.New research places Blackpool fourth in terms of outstanding school places available per pupil.
New research places Blackpool fourth in terms of outstanding school places available per pupil.

Norwich (111.3 pupils per school), Newcastle (144.7) and Liverpool (163.3) completed the top three, whilst on the other end of the scale, Swindon (2,905 pupils per school), Peterborough (1,536) and Bath (1,333) had the most competitive catchment areas.

Nearby Lancaster placed 19th in the rankings, with 9 outstanding schools (7 primary and 2 secondary) within five miles of the centre of the city catering for 2,972 pupils aged three and ten-year-olds (330.2 pupils per school).

More specifically, Blackpool places fourth for outstanding secondary school places and fifth for primary school places.

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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.

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.”

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Applications for September 2022 entry for secondary school places close on Sunday 31st October 2021, while for primary school places you have until Saturday 15 January 2022.

To find out more about the findings, click here.