West Lakes 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, 109 families put West Lakes Academy as their first choice and 201 named it as one of their preferences, for 117 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 214 in 2021 to 109 in 2026, while places went from 197 to 117.
Across Cumberland, 95% of families were offered their first-choice secondary school for 2026 entry, and 99% were offered one of the schools they named.
In 2025, families in Cumberland lodged 93 appeals against secondary school offers; 64 reached a hearing and 38 succeeded (59.4% 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 | 117 | 109 | 201 | 0.9 | 0 |
| 2025 | 154 | 154 | 284 | 1.0 | 0 |
| 2024 | 201 | 197 | 285 | 1.0 | 4 |
| 2023 | 173 | 199 | 341 | 1.2 | 27 |
| 2022 | 199 | 248 | 385 | 1.2 | 49 |
| 2021 | 197 | 214 | 337 | 1.1 | 19 |
| 2020 | 209 | 244 | 384 | 1.2 | 35 |
| 2019 | 210 | 212 | 402 | 1.0 | 10 |
| 2018 | 204 | 216 | 418 | 1.1 | 19 |
| 2017 | 210 | 249 | 438 | 1.2 | 42 |
| 2016 | 176 | 204 | 344 | 1.2 | 29 |
| 2015 | 202 | 246 | 377 | 1.2 | 46 |
| 2014 | 206 | 198 | 289 | 1.0 | 1 |
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.