Bristol Free 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, 300 families put Bristol Free School as their first choice and 638 named it as one of their preferences, for 218 places offered. That is 1.4 first choices for every place. 111 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
First-choice demand has risen from 257 in 2021 to 300 in 2026, while places went from 223 to 218.
Across Bristol, City of, 84% 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 Bristol, City of lodged 281 appeals against secondary school offers; 218 reached a hearing and 64 succeeded (29.4% 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 | 218 | 300 | 638 | 1.4 | 111 |
| 2025 | 205 | 311 | 625 | 1.5 | 130 |
| 2024 | 221 | 290 | 573 | 1.3 | 96 |
| 2023 | 219 | 253 | 596 | 1.2 | 94 |
| 2022 | 212 | 283 | 600 | 1.3 | 106 |
| 2021 | 223 | 257 | 567 | 1.2 | 89 |
| 2020 | 222 | 252 | 565 | 1.1 | 92 |
| 2019 | 220 | 200 | 516 | 0.9 | 51 |
| 2018 | 222 | 278 | 611 | 1.3 | 100 |
| 2017 | 202 | 242 | 519 | 1.2 | 80 |
| 2016 | 189 | 254 | 508 | 1.3 | 92 |
| 2015 | 143 | 200 | 441 | 1.4 | 87 |
| 2014 | 144 | 166 | 392 | 1.2 | 70 |
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.