Chichester 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, 80 families put Chichester Free School as their first choice and 476 named it as one of their preferences, for 67 places offered. That is 1.2 first choices for every place. 26 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
First-choice demand has risen from 43 in 2021 to 80 in 2026, while places went from 60 to 67.
Across West Sussex, 88% of families were offered their first-choice secondary school for 2026 entry, and 98% were offered one of the schools they named.
In 2025, families in West Sussex lodged 492 appeals against secondary school offers; 353 reached a hearing and 60 succeeded (17% 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 | 67 | 80 | 476 | 1.2 | 26 |
| 2025 | 98 | 102 | 521 | 1.0 | 23 |
| 2024 | 67 | 97 | 498 | 1.4 | 44 |
| 2023 | 68 | 97 | 498 | 1.4 | 43 |
| 2022 | 70 | 67 | 530 | 1.0 | 16 |
| 2021 | 60 | 43 | 538 | 0.7 | 4 |
| 2020 | 65 | 65 | 646 | 1.0 | 25 |
| 2019 | 67 | 84 | 796 | 1.3 | 36 |
| 2018 | 94 | 114 | 688 | 1.2 | 29 |
| 2017 | 94 | 101 | 455 | 1.1 | 16 |
| 2016 | 120 | 117 | 499 | 1.0 | 1 |
| 2015 | 121 | 145 | 472 | 1.2 | 45 |
| 2014 | 91 | 97 | 391 | 1.1 | 24 |
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.