Families who had applied for their child’s first primary school place have received their offers with more of them 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 were 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 have been 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 always 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 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.”
