TWENTY-seven children who live in the catchment area for Les Quennevais School have been denied a place there for September.
This marks the highest number of catchment children turned away from their first-choice secondary school in the last five years, according to figures released by Education Minister Rob Ward in response to a written question from Deputy Jonathan Renouf.
In comparison, fewer than five catchment children were denied places in 2024, nine in 2023, and none in 2022 or 2021.
The spring 2025 census shows Les Quennevais has 875 students enrolled, which goes above its capacity of 850.
The oversubscription, according to the Minister, is due to “an extra form of entry in the current Year 9” cohort.
“This has limited further numbers to the school due to already being over the maximum capacity,” the Minister wrote.
The written question comes after parents raised concerns with the JEP that some students living outside the Les Quennevais area may have been given places ahead of local children.
In response, the Children, Young People, Education and Skills (CYPES) department confirmed that this was not the case.
A spokesperson said: “For the Year 7 2025 cohort, no children outside of the Les Quennevais school catchment area have been offered a place.
“As the school was oversubscribed in the initial round of applications by 27 pupils, CYPES officers applied the ‘Admissions to Non Fee Paying Secondary Schools Policy’ to determine which of those children would be allocated an alternative secondary school place.
“An appeals process followed. Les Quennevais school is routinely over-subscribed, and the school’s capacity is always met.
However, all of the remaining Government secondary schools have the capacity to accept the pupils who don’t gain a place at Les Quennevais.”
The number of out-of-catchment applications denied also rose this year, with 11 rejected in 2025 compared to 7 the year before.
While Les Quennevais is full, other non-fee-paying secondary schools still have capacity.
Grainville has 751 students enrolled out of a possible 825, Haute Vallée has 658, and Le Rocquier has 702 students, well below its upper limit of 950.
