More children in Leeds get 1st preference in this year’s primary school places offer day

Families applying for their child’s first primary school place are receiving their offers today (16 April) and more of them are being offered their first choice than last year. Overall 9316 children (97%) will attend one of their top five preferred schools.

Leeds City Council have made a total of 9595 reception place offers this year. 88% of families are being offered their first preference, a slight increase on last year. 279 children, less than 3%, could not be offered one of their preferred schools and all are being offered an alternative place.

This year the council’s Sufficiency and Participation Team who plan school places, has worked hard with schools across the city to provide an additional 150 permanent reception places and 45 additional ‘bulge’ places, helping to ensure there are enough school places in the city.

Families are advised to make sure they include their nearest school in their application and use all five preferences to increase their chances of obtaining a place at a local school. This year 2968 families did not include a preference for their nearest school and 6889 families did not provide all 5 preferences.

Cllr Lisa Mulherin, Executive member for children and families said:

“Leeds continues to see school place pressures as a result of the birth rate in the city remaining higher than 10 years ago, and because of the success of the city’s economy drawing more families with school age children in.

“We've met the challenge creating 12,000 new primary school places in the city since 2009, and despite the parts of the city facing particularly significant pressure, we have through good planning and hard work with our city’s schools been able to offer more families one of their top preferences this year.

“Anyone who has not yet applied should contact 0113 222 4414 or email education.admissions@leeds.gov.uk as a matter of urgency.”

Notes:

Parents need to accept their offer of a school place as soon as possible. They can also request to be added to the waiting list at schools where they have not been offered a place and should do this by the 30 April 2018 to be included in the first allocation of places from the waiting lists which will take place in May.

The full breakdown of offers for primary school places for 2018/19 is:

9595 total places allocated (9683 88 more in 2017)

8461 (88%) children were given their 1^st preference (8458 or 87% in 2017)

577 (6%) children were given their 2^nd preference (594 or 6% in 2017)

154 (<2%) children were given their 3^rd preference (205 or 2% in 2017)

79 (<1%) children were given their 4^th preference (84 or <1% in 2017)

45 (<1%) children were given their 5^th preference (58 or <1% in 2017)

279 (<3%) children were not able to be offered any of their preferences and were placed at a school (284 or 3% in 2017)

ENDS

For media enquiries, please contact:

Leeds City Council press office, on (0113) 3786007

Email: communicationsteam@leeds.gov.uk