Almost all the parents who chose three primary schools in Bristol to send their four-year-olds in September have been allocated one of their preferences, and almost all of them have been given their first choice school, new figures have revealed.
Thousands of families across Bristol have today been given their offers of a primary school place for September, and now have a couple of weeks to respond to that offer and secure a place for their child. A total of 4,787 applications for children to start at a primary school in Bristol in September were received by the council - that’s slightly down on the 4,844 applications last year.
And of those 4,787, a total of 4,395 - that’s 92 per cent - were told they could go to their first choice primary school. Another 290 (six per cent) were allocated the school they listed as their second choice, and another 49 children (one per cent) were given their third choice.
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A total of 53 (also one per cent) parents and children were allocated a school which wasn’t listed as any of their three choices. Those figures are roughly identical to last year’s, and have been welcomed by education chief Cllr Asher Craig, the deputy mayor.
“We recognise the importance of learning at all ages, and starting primary school is a big step for children,” she said. “As a local authority we work hard with all Bristol schools to ensure they deliver the highest standards of education. We wish all children starting primary school in September a smooth transition and hope they are happy and excited to start,” she added.
Parents and carers who applied received emails today with their results, and will have two weeks to respond to their offer via the council’s Parent Portal. A council spokesperson said that anyone who hasn’t seen an email should check the spam filter on their email accounts.
“Anyone not receiving an offer for their preferred school will be given information about how to stay on the waiting list and the appeals process,” they added.
In South Gloucestershire, there was a similar level of success in allocating places for parents' choices. A total of 3,254 applications were made from residents in South Gloucestershire for children to start at South Gloucestershire's primary schools in September 2023, and another 106 places were applied for from parents who live over the border in a different local authority area, while 108 children who live in South Gloucestershire have been offered places in other local authority areas.
Of those 3,254, a total of 2,991 - or 92 per cent - were offered their first choice primary school. Another 159 children have been offered their second choice school (five per cent) and 31 have been offered a place at their third choice school (one per cent).
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