Just half of the children who had Sussex’s most over-subscribed schools as their first choice will be heading there come September.

New statistics show that 55 parents put Handcross Primary School near Haywards Heath as their child’s first choice school – but just 29 children were offered places.

The figure ranks the school as the most over-subscribed in Sussex after parents fought for places in this year’s round of applications.

Handcross Primary was ranked as the most popular primary school among parents with just 52 per cent of children with the school as their first choice receiving places.

In East Sussex, Stonegate Church of England Primary in Wadhurst was the most oversubscribed with 64 per cent of first-choice offers resulting in places.

For Brighton and Hove City Council schools, Peter Gladwin Primary School in Portslade was ranked as the most over-subscribed primary with 63 per cent of first-choice preferences resulting in places.

The figures come as Brighton and Hove City Council voted to move ahead with shutting down two primary schools in the city, citing falling admission numbers.

St Bartholomew’s CE Primary School and St Peter’s Community School are both expected to be closed by the council after councillors voted.

Following the end of a representation period, the final recommendations on the closures will go back to the Children, Families & Schools Committee on 29 February 2024 for further consideration before the final decision on the proposals is made by councillors at a special full council meeting on 4 March 2024.

Both schools gave all of their limited places, the lowest offered in the city, to parents who put the school as their first preference for their child.

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As for secondary schools, King’s School in Brighton was ranked as the most over-subscribed in the city. 238 children had the school as their first choice but only 162 received places.

In East Sussex, just 53 per cent of first preferences got into The Cavendish School in Eastbourne which is the lowest for any secondary school in the county.

St Oscar Romero Catholic School in Goring was the most over-subscribed secondary school in East Sussex with 62 per cent of children with the school as their first choice receiving offers.

Many schools in Brighton and Sussex have had to turn away potential pupils due to being over-subscribed.