Matthew Arnold 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, 141 families put Matthew Arnold School as their first choice and 362 named it as one of their preferences, for 192 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 215 in 2021 to 141 in 2026, while places went from 205 to 192.
Across Oxfordshire, 85% of families were offered their first-choice secondary school for 2026 entry, and 96% were offered one of the schools they named.
In 2025, families in Oxfordshire lodged 265 appeals against secondary school offers; 160 reached a hearing and 58 succeeded (36.3% 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 | 192 | 141 | 362 | 0.7 | 0 |
| 2025 | 206 | 157 | 409 | 0.8 | 4 |
| 2024 | 208 | 160 | 392 | 0.8 | 0 |
| 2023 | 204 | 209 | 504 | 1.0 | 20 |
| 2022 | 204 | 218 | 466 | 1.1 | 33 |
| 2021 | 205 | 215 | 460 | 1.0 | 23 |
| 2020 | 209 | 222 | 468 | 1.1 | 24 |
| 2019 | 209 | 244 | 468 | 1.2 | 50 |
| 2018 | 211 | 175 | 359 | 0.8 | 9 |
| 2017 | 207 | 203 | 392 | 1.0 | 18 |
| 2016 | 180 | 185 | 397 | 1.0 | 14 |
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.