D-day for Yorkshire parents who have applied for primary places

THE NUMBER of children getting into their first choice of primary school has increased in the majority of education authority areas in Yorkshire today.
Library image.Library image.
Library image.

Tens of thousands of four-year-olds have been allocated places for starting their reception year in September.

Initial figures from councils across the region suggest more people have been able to secure places at their first choice of school compared with 12 months ago.

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In eight of the areas The Yorkshire Post has received figures for, the proportion of successful applicants has increased.

East Riding had the highest proportion of successful applicants, with 96 per cent getting into their preferred choice - up slightly on last year.

One of the biggest increases was in neighbouring Hull, which saw 94 per cent of children being allocated their first choice school, compared to 87 per cent in 2016.

Councillor Phil Webster, portfolio holder for learning, skills and safeguarding children, said: “It is fantastic that 94 per cent of the 3,161 applications have been allocated their first preference primary school place.”

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Boosts in the numbers getting into their first choice schools were also seen in Kirklees, Wakefield, Rotherham and Sheffield, which has provided 60 extra places for children in reception classes for September. In North Yorkshire 95 per cent of applicants secured their first school preference - up two per cent and the highest figure for several years.

A positive picture has remained in Leeds, which was engulfed in controversy over the number of parents missing out in the North of the city in 2015. The city council announced that 87 per cent of children have got into their first choice school - the same as last year. Overall 97 per cent were given one of the schools they had chosen. Whilst there was a reduction in the number of applicants this year by 371, the authority said its school place planning team had worked hard to ensure there were “enough places in the right areas” – including creating an additional 90 ‘bulge’ places in the North Leeds area. Alternative places have been offered to 284 children - three per cent - who did not get any of their five preferences.

There was a small decline in the numbers getting into their first choice in York, which saw a 1.5 per cent drop to 92.9 per cent.