Nearly 30 children living in the Les Quennevais catchment area have been denied a place at the school due to it being “oversubscribed”, it has emerged.
While fewer than five children were denied places in their catchment in 2024, the number soared to 27 last year.
This marks the highest number of children living in the catchment turned away from their first-choice secondary school in the last five years, according to figures released by the Education Minister this week.
There were nine turned away from their catchment in 2023, and none in 2022 or 2021.
As of spring 2025, Les Quennevais had 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,” Deputy Rob Ward said.
The figures were released in response to a written question from Deputy Jonathan Renouf.
They also come after several parents contacted Express with fears that students living outside the Les Quennnevais area may have been given places ahead of children within the catchment.
However, following queries from Express, the Education Department confirmed that this was not why catchment-based children had been denied a place – but that the school was simply unable to accommodate all of the children living in the area who had applied.
“For the Year 7 2025 cohort, no children outside of the Les Quennevais school catchment area have been offered a place,” a Children, Young People, Education and Skills (CYPES) spokesperson said.
“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 oversubscribed, and the school’s capacity is always met,” the CYPES spokesperson continued.
“However, all of the remaining Government secondary schools have 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.