Thomas A Becket Infant 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, 134 families put Thomas A Becket Infant School as their first choice and 278 named it as one of their preferences, for 138 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 181 in 2021 to 134 in 2026, while places went from 181 to 138.
Across West Sussex, 92% of families were offered their first-choice primary school for 2026 entry, and 99% were offered one of the schools they named.
In 2025, families in West Sussex lodged 187 appeals against primary school offers; 102 reached a hearing and 10 succeeded (9.8% 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 | 138 | 134 | 278 | 1.0 | 0 |
| 2025 | 150 | 164 | 342 | 1.1 | 14 |
| 2024 | 150 | 173 | 375 | 1.2 | 33 |
| 2023 | 180 | 172 | 397 | 1.0 | 2 |
| 2022 | 179 | 200 | 401 | 1.1 | 29 |
| 2021 | 181 | 181 | 434 | 1.0 | 11 |
| 2020 | 179 | 173 | 422 | 1.0 | 8 |
| 2019 | 174 | 153 | 396 | 0.9 | 0 |
| 2018 | 180 | 178 | 420 | 1.0 | 23 |
| 2017 | 180 | 189 | 375 | 1.1 | 30 |
| 2016 | 180 | 179 | 395 | 1.0 | 26 |
| 2015 | 179 | 192 | 463 | 1.1 | 29 |
| 2014 | 150 | 182 | 393 | 1.2 | 35 |
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.