Samuel Ward 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, 148 families put Samuel Ward Academy as their first choice and 242 named it as one of their preferences, for 186 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.
Demand has been fairly steady: 166 first choices in 2021, against 148 in 2026.
Across Suffolk, 93% 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 Suffolk lodged 193 appeals against secondary school offers; 157 reached a hearing and 43 succeeded (27.4% 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 | 186 | 148 | 242 | 0.8 | 0 |
| 2025 | 159 | 146 | 263 | 0.9 | 0 |
| 2024 | 192 | 179 | 269 | 0.9 | 0 |
| 2023 | 198 | 171 | 271 | 0.9 | 0 |
| 2022 | 209 | 200 | 323 | 1.0 | 0 |
| 2021 | 186 | 166 | 274 | 0.9 | 0 |
| 2020 | 199 | 180 | 295 | 0.9 | 0 |
| 2019 | 230 | 232 | 349 | 1.0 | 22 |
| 2018 | 240 | 251 | 379 | 1.0 | 24 |
| 2017 | 228 | 267 | 361 | 1.2 | 44 |
| 2016 | 246 | 290 | 394 | 1.2 | 52 |
| 2015 | 251 | 291 | 389 | 1.2 | 40 |
| 2014 | 220 | 213 | 321 | 1.0 | 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.