Primary school offer day has become a bittersweet moment in many communities. While anxious parents will breathe a sigh of relief upon securing their first-choice school, the chance of success has increased as reception applications have continued to fall. Falling birthrates and the cost-of-living crisis driving families out of more expensive cities, such as London, has led to shortages in primary school application numbers. The result? Undersubscribed schools lose out, with those that are more popular filling their spaces.
This year in London, where some of the country’s highest-performing schools are located, (96% are rated good or outstanding by Ofsted), applications for reception places fell by 2.1%. It is a worrying continuation of a downward trend. On Wednesday, nearly 88% of applicants secured their first-choice school, compared with 81.1% in 2014 when records began.
