Pressure on places and appeals.

In Gloucestershire, about 35 in 100 primary appeals and 25 in 100 secondary appeals heard for September 2025 were won. That is higher than across England (15 and 19 in 100), but most families who appeal still do not win.

This page brings together three things: how full schools were this year, what the council expects over the next few years, and how often appeals succeed. It is information, not advice on whether to appeal.

How full schools were for September 2026

A school is full here when it gave out every place and had to use its rules to choose between families. First choices per place compares how many families put the area's schools first with the places they had: above 1 means more first choices than places.

Primary schools (Reception)

Secondary schools (Year 7)

For secondary schools, "full" means no places were left on offer day. The council does not publish first choices for secondary schools.

Source: Gloucestershire County Council, allocation day figures, 2026 entry. Each school's own figures are on its page.

What the council expects

Across the county, fewer children are starting primary school than a few years ago, because fewer babies have been born. Secondary numbers have been rising and are expected to level off by 2030. But that hides big local differences, mostly caused by new housing.

Cheltenham

Primary places have been under pressure, especially in the south-east of the town, where several schools have grown. Big new housing to the west and north-west is due to bring new schools. A new secondary, The High School Leckhampton, opened in 2021, and another secondary is planned at Uckington as part of new housing to the north.

Gloucester

The council calls Gloucester a "hotspot". Year 7 demand has been above the number of places across the city since 2023 and is expected to keep rising through the 2020s. In the south, Clearwater and Hunts Grove primaries were opened for new housing in Quedgeley, Kingsway and Hardwicke.

Cotswold

Housing growth is pushing up demand in pockets, notably Cirencester (the Chesterton site will get a new primary), Moreton-in-Marsh, Fairford, Bourton and Mickleton. Local schools are being expanded.

Forest of Dean

There are generally spare places. New housing in Lydney will need its local primary to grow, and the council is watching plans at Cinderford.

Stroud

There is generally a small surplus of places. A new primary opened at Stonehouse in 2021, and housing at north-west Cam will need more places.

Tewkesbury

New housing is adding demand. Bishop's Cleeve schools have all grown and a new primary is being planned. Large sites at Twigworth, Innsworth and Churchdown will need new primary schools. Cleeve and Winchcombe secondaries have expanded.

The council also says the grammar schools have been offering more places to children from outside the county, so extra places have had to be found at other Gloucester and Cheltenham schools for local children. Many schools are full, which makes finding a place during the school year hard: in 2021 to 2022 the council had 4,490 in-year applications.

Source: Gloucestershire County Council, School Places Strategy 2025 to 2030. Summarised in our own words. Plans can change.

School admission appeals

If your child is refused a place at a school you applied for, you can appeal. An independent panel, not the school, hears your case. You write to explain why your child should go to the school, and you can speak at a short hearing. There are two questions the panel asks:

1. Were the school's admission rules lawful and applied correctly to your child?
2. Do your child's reasons for needing this school outweigh the problems an extra pupil would cause the school?

Reception to Year 2 are different. By law these classes cannot have more than 30 children per teacher. The panel can only say yes if the rules were not followed correctly, or the decision was one no reasonable person would make. That is why far fewer infant appeals succeed.

Appeals for September 2025

Some appeals are withdrawn or settled before a hearing, often because a place came up from the waiting list. "Reception to Year 2" is part of "Primary".

Year by year

Appeals heard by a panel, and how many in 100 were won, in Gloucestershire and across England.

Primary

Secondary

Secondary appeals heard in Gloucestershire went from 302 for September 2015 to 562 for September 2025, while the number of children starting secondary school went from 7,539 to 9,051.

Source: Department for Education, Admission appeals in England, local authority figures. Figures cover all state schools, including academies. "Places for September 2025" is the DfE's 2026 reporting year.

How to appeal

• Accept the place you were offered first. It keeps your child sure of a school and does not affect your appeal.
• Check the deadline in your refusal letter. You get at least 20 school days.
• Community and voluntary controlled schools: the council arranges the appeal. Academies, voluntary aided and foundation schools are responsible for their own appeals, though some ask the council to run them. Your letter says where to send yours.
• Join the waiting list as well. Places often come up before appeals are heard.

School admission appeals, Gloucestershire County Council · Appealing a school's decision, GOV.UK

More: how school admissions work · key dates · jargon buster.