Swindon Borough Council is continuing to ensure that nearly all pupils are offered a place at their first preference primary school for September 2017.
This year, the Council’s School Admissions Team received 2,825 on time applications for primary school places, with 91.4% matched with their first preference, a slight increase to last year’s figure of 90.8%.
Parents could request a place in up to three schools and 98% were offered one of their three preferences, compared to 97.9% last year.
Priority for places was determined by the admission criteria for the school in question.
The deadline for applying for primary school places was 15 January 2017 and letters were posted out to parents today (18 April) informing them of the school placement offers. Parents who applied online will also receive an email today if they requested to hear by email.
Applicants who submitted their preferences after the deadline were offered a place at the next nearest school with a place available at that time, if their preferred school was oversubscribed at that point.
Cllr Fionuala Foley, Swindon Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, said: “It is a credit to our School Admissions Team that they continue to offer so many parents their first choice of primary school, year on year.
“A great deal of work goes on behind the scenes to ensure we have enough primary school places and that they are available in those parts of the borough where we have a growing population.
“Part of this work involves increasing places in existing schools, but also in providing new schools and I was delighted to hear last week of the Government’s announcement that we are to receive two new free schools as this will ensure we can build on our excellent work in school place planning.”
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