Discovery Academy: 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, 208 families put Discovery Academy as their first choice and 307 named it as one of their preferences, for 221 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places, so in 2026 a family who put it first could expect an offer unless the school's other criteria ruled them out.
First-choice demand has fallen from 288 in 2021 to 208 in 2026, while places went from 298 to 221.
Across Stoke-on-Trent, 89% 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 Stoke-on-Trent lodged 259 appeals against secondary school offers; 191 reached a hearing and 51 succeeded (26.7% 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 | 221 | 208 | 307 | 0.9 | 0 |
| 2025 | 283 | 223 | 346 | 0.8 | 0 |
| 2024 | 285 | 240 | 420 | 0.8 | 0 |
| 2023 | 295 | 262 | 420 | 0.9 | 0 |
| 2022 | 295 | 300 | 470 | 1.0 | 15 |
| 2021 | 298 | 288 | 475 | 1.0 | 7 |
| 2020 | 291 | 272 | 487 | 0.9 | 13 |
| 2019 | 253 | 272 | 397 | 1.1 | 36 |
| 2018 | 241 | 238 | 352 | 1.0 | 7 |
| 2017 | 228 | 203 | 296 | 0.9 | 0 |
| 2016 | 250 | 204 | 329 | 0.8 | 0 |
| 2015 | 238 | 210 | 317 | 0.9 | 0 |
| 2014 | 229 | 216 | 345 | 0.9 | 0 |
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.