ERYC Primary School Admissions

East Riding of Yorkshire parents who have applied for 2011/2012 primary school places at schools will be told the results of their applications in the next few days.  Letters were posted to parents on Friday, 6 May 2011.

This is the first year that local authorities have been required to use co-ordinated schemes for school admissions.  Under the co-ordinated schemes, parents apply for school places through the local authority for the area where they live, even if they want a place for their child at a school in another authority’s area.  Where applicants apply for places at schools outside their home area, local authorities exchange information about the availability of school places.  It is the child’s home local authority which finally decides which school place a child will be given.

The number of children starting at East Riding infant and primary schools for the first time in September will be the highest since 2003, reflecting an 8% rise in the number of births in the East Riding in 2006/2007 compared with 2005/2006.

The East Riding received 3,206 applications for places at infant and primary schools this year and 3,123 applicants (97.4%) got places at one of the schools they named on their application forms.  3,050 applicants (95.1%) got places at their first choice school.  83 applicants have not got places at any school named as one of their three choices.

At 33 of the 119 infant and primary schools in the East Riding, the number of first preferences was greater than the number of places available.  A further seven schools were over-subscribed when second and third preferences were taken into account.  Any child living in the East Riding who did not get a place at any of the schools named by their parents will have been given a place either at their catchment area school or at the nearest East Riding school with a place available.

At three schools (Brough Primary, Welton Primary and Marshlands Primary) eleven catchment area applicants who had named their local school as one of their preferences could not be given a place at their catchment area school.  All eleven children have been given places at the nearest school with a place available.

The Council’s school admissions team has also processed over 400 applications from parents applying for their children to transfer from infant to junior schools.  As all six junior schools are under-subscribed, all applicants’ first preferences have therefore been met.

Where parents have been unsuccessful at getting places at their preferred schools, their child’s name is automatically added to a waiting list in case places are made available later on, for example if a family moves out of the area.  Also, parents can make appeals.  Appeals are heard by independent panels that look at the individual circumstances of the children concerned and can award school places if they feel the circumstances justify it.

Alison Michalska, director of children, family and adult services, said: “Across the East Riding as a whole, the percentage of children getting places at their parents’ preferred school is very high, particularly given the increased number of children needing places this year.  Although the proportion of parents not getting places at their preferred schools is small, I understand the disappointment the  unsuccessful applicants will be feeling and the difficulties and problems that some of those parents will be facing, particularly where they already have a child or children at the school they wanted.  However, parents should remember that the admissions process is not yet over.

There is always some movement in numbers after the initial allocation letters go out.  If vacancies arise at a school through, for example, families moving out of the area, places will be given to children on the school’s waiting lists.  This process continues into the autumn.  If parents want more advice about what they should do now or about the appeals process, they should contact the school admissions team.”