diff --git a/e2e/tests/journeys.spec.ts b/e2e/tests/journeys.spec.ts
index 430fb5e..35b6049 100644
--- a/e2e/tests/journeys.spec.ts
+++ b/e2e/tests/journeys.spec.ts
@@ -1868,3 +1868,20 @@ test('phase variants are submitted in the places sitemap', async ({ page }) => {
   const xml = await (await page.request.get('/sitemaps/places-1.xml')).text();
   expect(xml).toMatch(/\/schools\/[a-z0-9-]+\/primary</);
 });
+
+test('no page title repeats the brand', async ({ page }) => {
+  // The root layout appends '| schoolcompare' to a plain-string title. Any
+  // route whose title already carries the brand must opt out with
+  // `absolute`, or it ships '... | schoolcompare | schoolcompare' — which is
+  // how ~2,600 place pages first went out.
+  const res = await page.request.get('/api/places');
+  const { places } = await res.json();
+  const town = places.find((p: { kind: string }) => p.kind === 'town');
+
+  for (const path of ['/', '/rankings', '/admissions', `/schools/${town.slug}`]) {
+    await page.goto(path);
+    const title = await page.title();
+    const brands = (title.match(/schoolcompare/gi) ?? []).length;
+    expect(brands, `${path} repeats the brand: ${title}`).toBeLessThanOrEqual(1);
+  }
+});
diff --git a/nextjs-app/__tests__/app/placeMetadata.test.ts b/nextjs-app/__tests__/app/placeMetadata.test.ts
index 67286db..7c9f27e 100644
--- a/nextjs-app/__tests__/app/placeMetadata.test.ts
+++ b/nextjs-app/__tests__/app/placeMetadata.test.ts
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ jest.mock('@/lib/places', () => ({
 describe('place page metadata', () => {
   it('titles the page the way the place is searched', async () => {
     const m = await placeMeta({ params: Promise.resolve({ place: 'brentwood' }) });
-    expect(m.title).toMatch(/schools in brentwood/i);
+    expect((m.title as { absolute: string }).absolute).toMatch(/schools in brentwood/i);
   });
 
   it('canonicalises to its own path on the www host', async () => {
@@ -23,6 +23,18 @@ describe('place page metadata', () => {
       .toBe('https://www.schoolcompare.co.uk/schools/brentwood');
   });
 
+  it('opts out of the layout template, which would double the brand', () => {
+    // The root layout appends '| schoolcompare' to a plain string title, and
+    // these titles already carry it — every place page shipped reading
+    // '... | schoolcompare | schoolcompare' until this was made absolute.
+    return placeMeta({ params: Promise.resolve({ place: 'brentwood' }) })
+      .then((m) => {
+        expect(typeof m.title).toBe('object');
+        expect((m.title as { absolute: string }).absolute)
+          .not.toMatch(/schoolcompare.*schoolcompare/);
+      });
+  });
+
   it('an unknown place gets a not-found title rather than inventing one', async () => {
     const m = await placeMeta({ params: Promise.resolve({ place: 'atlantis' }) });
     expect(m.title).toMatch(/not found/i);
diff --git a/nextjs-app/app/schools/[place]/[phase]/page.tsx b/nextjs-app/app/schools/[place]/[phase]/page.tsx
index be97d0f..b63b80b 100644
--- a/nextjs-app/app/schools/[place]/[phase]/page.tsx
+++ b/nextjs-app/app/schools/[place]/[phase]/page.tsx
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ export async function generateMetadata({ params }: Props): Promise<Metadata> {
   const word = phase === 'secondary' ? 'Secondary' : 'Primary';
   const { name } = detail.place;
   return {
-    title: `${word} Schools in ${name} — Ranked | schoolcompare`,
+    title: { absolute: `${word} Schools in ${name} — Ranked | schoolcompare` },
     description:
       `Every ${phase} school in ${name} ranked by results, with Ofsted grades and `
       + `the local average against England.`,
diff --git a/nextjs-app/app/schools/[place]/page.tsx b/nextjs-app/app/schools/[place]/page.tsx
index 8fe0111..c2007b3 100644
--- a/nextjs-app/app/schools/[place]/page.tsx
+++ b/nextjs-app/app/schools/[place]/page.tsx
@@ -53,7 +53,10 @@ export async function generateMetadata({ params }: Props): Promise<Metadata> {
 
   const { name, count } = detail.place;
   return {
-    title: `Schools in ${name} — Compare ${count} Schools | schoolcompare`,
+    // absolute: the root layout's template appends '| schoolcompare' to a
+    // plain string, and this title already carries it. Without this every
+    // place title read '... | schoolcompare | schoolcompare'.
+    title: { absolute: `Schools in ${name} — Compare ${count} Schools | schoolcompare` },
     description:
       `Every school in ${name} ranked by SATs and GCSE results, with Ofsted grades, `
       + `the local average against England, and how close you had to live to get a place.`,
diff --git a/nextjs-app/app/schools/authority/[la]/page.tsx b/nextjs-app/app/schools/authority/[la]/page.tsx
index 7f1aac7..f9b4c3e 100644
--- a/nextjs-app/app/schools/authority/[la]/page.tsx
+++ b/nextjs-app/app/schools/authority/[la]/page.tsx
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ export async function generateMetadata({ params }: Props): Promise<Metadata> {
 
   const { name, count } = detail.place;
   return {
-    title: `Schools in ${name} — Local Authority | schoolcompare`,
+    title: { absolute: `Schools in ${name} — Local Authority | schoolcompare` },
     description:
       `All ${count} schools in the ${name} local authority, ranked by SATs and GCSE `
       + `results, with Ofsted grades and the authority average against England.`,
diff --git a/nextjs-app/app/schools/near/[outcode]/page.tsx b/nextjs-app/app/schools/near/[outcode]/page.tsx
index 9a43aa2..e08d471 100644
--- a/nextjs-app/app/schools/near/[outcode]/page.tsx
+++ b/nextjs-app/app/schools/near/[outcode]/page.tsx
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ export async function generateMetadata({ params }: Props): Promise<Metadata> {
 
   const { name, count } = detail.place;
   return {
-    title: `Schools near ${name} | schoolcompare`,
+    title: { absolute: `Schools near ${name} | schoolcompare` },
     description:
       `${count} schools in the ${name} postcode district, ranked by results, with `
       + `Ofsted grades and how close you had to live to get a place.`,