More than 96% received an offer from one of their four preferred schools.
A total of 21,767 parents and carers applied for a place for their child in a Kent school for September 2025.
The percentage number of Kent pupils offered a place at their first-preference school has gone up to 80.59% from last year’s 78.62%.
The number of those offered their second, third or fourth preference has decreased slightly due to this.
“I am pleased to see 2.5% more children have been offered their first-preference schools this year.”
Kent County Council’s Cabinet Member for Education and Skills, Rory Love said: “I am pleased to see 2.5% more children have been offered their first-preference schools this year, and that 96% will be going to one of their preferred schools in September.
“As always, I pay tribute to our dedicated officers in the KCC admissions team who have been working tirelessly to make sure we offer school places to nearly 22,000 pupils.
“Where it has not been possible to match pupils with one of their preferred schools, I would like to assure families that today marks the first stage within our comprehensive school place allocation process.
“Pupils and families can now focus on making the most of their final year of primary school and begin preparing for the move to secondary school.”
Families who applied online received their emails from 4pm on Monday 3 March and were able to log into their accounts from 5pm to view their offer.
Every year a number of children cannot be offered a place in one of their preferred schools.
In most cases, this is where the parents had not used all four preferences.
KCC will support these families by allocating them a place at an alternative school.
That number has decreased again this year to 646 pupils; this is 3.66% of the total cohort.
This is the lowest proportion of children allocated a place by KCC since 2016.
This year, parents will automatically be enrolled on any waiting list they are eligible for of a higher preference they were not offered.
Emails sent to parents will explain this in more detail.
Families can also request to join the waiting list of any school of any lower preference they were not offered by Monday 17 March.
Parents and carers can also appeal directly to the admissions authority of any school that could not offer their child a place.
Appeals must be lodged by Monday 31 March.
KCC will hold a second round of offers on Thursday 24 April for any spaces that become available.
Further advice can be found in the Offer Email.
If you have any queries after receiving your offer, please email kent.admissions@kent.gov.uk quoting your child’s Pupil ID, this can be found in your offer email.
Notes to editors
- Parents and carers have until Monday 17 March to accept or refuse their child’s offer and return waiting list forms
- Parents and carers must lodge any appeals for their named schools by Monday 31 March
- KCC will reallocate places from schools’ waiting lists sending out a second round of offers on Thursday 24 April
- After this date, schools will maintain their own waiting lists and parents and carers can apply to schools direct to ask to be placed on waiting lists
- Only children assessed suitable for grammar school can be placed on a grammar school waiting list
