Admission figures show first preference offers were at 80.4%
Merton Council says it has offered a place to every child who applied to go to a Merton primary school from September 2016.
School admissions figures from the Pan-London Admissions Board published this week (April 17) show Merton offered 90% of families a place for their child at one of their top three preferred primary schools. First preference offers were at 80.4% this year.
Since 2007, the council has seen record increases in the demand for primary school places in the borough and it has invested over £80 million in expanding 20 primary schools, enabling the council to offer all 2,734 children a school place, ready to start in September 2016.
Merton Council’s Director of Children, Schools and Families, Yvette Stanley said: “This can be an anxious time for parents as they wait to find out which school their child has been offered a place at, especially given the huge demand, however we are pleased that we have been able to offer a place for every child. Our successful expansion programme, which has resulted in over 4,500 extra places since 2007, means that we have been able to offer most children one of their top three preferences.
“We are committed to continuing our work to ensure that every child in the borough can go to an excellent primary school near to where they live, giving them a good start in life. We would recommend that those parents who have not received their preferred school, read the information they will receive on how to apply for other schools and how the waiting list process works, as places that were once filled, can become available before September.”
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April 22, 2016