Nearly 100% of parents have been offered one of their preferred primary schools for their children ahead of the next academic year across Nottinghamshire. Nottinghamshire County Council say 96.5% of children have been offered their parents’ first preference school for a reception place this September. Across the city, 97% of pupils have received their first or second choice of primary school for September this year.
National Offer Day, which falls on Tuesday, April 19, sees parents across the country find out which school their child has been allocated for either a reception or a year 3 school place. 7,850 students out of a total of 8,134 that applied on time for a school place saw 99.6% secure a place in one of their preferred schools.
Parents who applied online will be able to log on to their account to see their outcome on National Offer Day - parents who applied by other means will be sent their outcomes by second class post. Those who are happy with the place they have been offered should accept the offer and the school will then be in touch with them, according to the council.
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Parents who are unhappy with the place offered should view the information on Nottinghamshire County Council’s website regarding the options available to them, including information about how to appeal. Councillor Tracey Taylor, chairman for the children and young people’s committee, said: “I am pleased that so many children are being offered places at their parents’ preferred schools for September this year.
"With 96.5% of families being offered their first preference and 99.6% being offered one of their preferences, this is really great news for Nottinghamshire families. That almost all children have secured a place at one of their nominated schools is as result of the investment in school expansions and new schools in areas of the county where they are most needed.
"The council is committed to planning for enough school places and, over the last three years, new primary schools opened in Hucknall and West Bridgford. This year, a further 3 primary schools will open in September 2022 in Bingham, East Leake and Carlton and will make sure there are enough primary school places to meet demand well into the future.
"This is excellent news for Nottinghamshire’s children. I would encourage families to visit our website, where they will be able to find factsheets with all the information they need on what happens next.”
More than 97% of pupils in Nottingham have received their first or second choice of primary school for September this year
On National Offer Day today, the City Council has been able to inform parents and carers of 2,989 children that they have secured a place at their preferred school. This is out of 3,224 applications, with 158 getting their second choice. This means 97.6% have got a place at their first or second choice school.
An offer has been made to every child who applied, so nobody is without a place. Council officers will continue to help parents and carers over the coming days with any questions they may have, or give advice on how the appeal process works where necessary.
Councillor Eunice Campbell-Clark, Portfolio Holder for Schools at Nottingham City Council, said: “I’m delighted that every child has been offered a place, with the vast majority getting their first or second preference.
“I’d like to thank parents and carers for applying on-time, and also our admissions team for all their hard work. I’m sure we have going on for 3,000 children in Nottingham who are looking forward to joining their schools in September.
“We have proven in terms of our primary school expansion programme our ability to increase capacity in the city and enable more parents to get a place at their preferred school. Our £40m investment in primary school capacity since 2009 has added 4,000 new places.
“Nottingham is one of the fastest-growing cities in the country and therefore it is essential that the Government funds the additional school capacity that we need for Nottingham children, particularly as they move to secondary education.”
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