Balcarras School: admissions history
How many families applied, how many places there were, and how far the last place went - every year we hold.
For September 2026 entry, 239 families put Balcarras School as their first choice and 776 named it as one of their preferences, for 181 places offered. That is 1.3 first choices for every place. 64 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
First-choice demand has risen from 202 in 2021 to 239 in 2026, while places went from 194 to 181.
Across Gloucestershire, 87% of families were offered their first-choice secondary school for 2026 entry, and 97% were offered one of the schools they named.
In 2025, families in Gloucestershire lodged 638 appeals against secondary school offers; 543 reached a hearing and 140 succeeded (25.8% of those heard).
Applications and offers by year
| Entry year | Places offered | First choices | Named at all | First choices per place | First choices not offered |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 181 | 239 | 776 | 1.3 | 64 |
| 2025 | 185 | 255 | 734 | 1.4 | 75 |
| 2024 | 190 | 231 | 654 | 1.2 | 45 |
| 2023 | 184 | 243 | 631 | 1.3 | 66 |
| 2022 | 188 | 240 | 632 | 1.3 | 57 |
| 2021 | 194 | 202 | 598 | 1.0 | 31 |
| 2020 | 187 | 263 | 628 | 1.4 | 80 |
| 2019 | 218 | 279 | 667 | 1.3 | 66 |
| 2018 | 190 | 269 | 622 | 1.4 | 80 |
| 2017 | 219 | 271 | 644 | 1.2 | 54 |
| 2016 | 189 | 261 | 656 | 1.4 | 78 |
| 2015 | 188 | 290 | 684 | 1.5 | 104 |
| 2014 | 215 | 275 | 693 | 1.3 | 71 |
Source: DfE, Primary and secondary school applications and offers (school-level file). "Places offered" is the number of offers made on national offer day, which can differ from the school's published admission number.