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Primary school places allocated as pupil numbers rise Primary school places revealed as squeeze continues
(35 minutes later)
Parents are finding out whether they have got their preferred primary school place, as for the first time a National Offer Day allocates places across England on the same day. England is facing a "growing crisis" over primary school places, a teachers' leader has said, as parents find out where their children will attend.
Primary places have been put under increasing pressure, with many schools adding extra classes to keep pace with a fast-rising birth rate. Dr Mary Bousted, of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, accused Education Secretary Michael Gove of failing to ensure places are available.
Between 2012 and 2013, primary pupil numbers grew by almost 100,000. Early figures suggest tens of thousands of pupils will not get their first choices.
Councils are calling for more powers over the opening of new schools. The government said it had doubled funding for new school places to £5bn.
This year sees the first co-ordinated allocation of primary school places across England, with emails and letters being sent out with details of where children will be starting school in September. It highlighted how it had allowed good schools to expand and said most families were getting their first choice of school.
In Bristol, 94% of children will be allocated one of their three preferences - with 82% getting their first choice. 'Not enough money'
It means that almost one in five families there will miss out on their first choice - even though an extra 230 places have been created. But early figures indicate that a child's chances of achieving a first choice depends heavily on where they live, with almost all getting their top preference in some areas, and more than a third missing out in others.
And in Manchester, where there has been population growth, some 87.5% were offered their first preference school. A total of 4.5% - some 303 children were offered places at schools which they had not chosen. Dr Bousted told the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) annual conference in Manchester: "We know that there is a growing crisis in primary school places and we know that the government, for all the money they say they are throwing at the problem, they simply haven't got the mechanism, they haven't got the ability, to plan school provision where it's needed.
"They have divested themselves of the levers to manage this situation.
"As soon as they prevented local authorities from building primary schools and they left it to the market, to free school providers and academy sponsors, they've come across two main problems."
She added: "Local authorities say that despite the extra money, there isn't enough money, and because of the land prices, it's very difficult for free schools to get established.
"It's no surprise that there's a crisis in primary school places, because the secretary of state, Michael Gove, has divested himself of his first key responsibility, which is to provide school places for children."
This year sees the first co-ordinated allocation of primary school places across England, with emails and letters about places being sent out on the same day. But data on the national picture will not be available for several weeks.
Fast-rising birthrate
However, early statistics show that in some London boroughs as few as six out of 10 children got their first choice. In Kensington & Chelsea just 61.6% (595) got their top preference, down from 65% (623) last year.
In neighbouring Hammersmith & Fulham, one in four (24.8%) children missed out on their first choice.
Across London as a whole 81% of children received their first choice, despite a 3% rise in pupil numbers.
In Bristol, 94% of children have been allocated one of their three preferences - with 82% getting their first choice.
And in Manchester, where there has been population growth, 87.5% were offered their first preference school. A total of 4.5% - 303 children - were offered places at schools that they had not chosen.
In Kent and in Medway, where more children applied this year, around 85% have got their first choice.In Kent and in Medway, where more children applied this year, around 85% have got their first choice.
Moving home Primary places have been under increasing pressure, with many schools adding extra classes to keep pace with a fast-rising birthrate.
An online poll of 1,051 people by the Netmums parenting website suggested that many parents were planning and worrying about getting a place years before children reach school age. Between 2012 and last year, primary pupil numbers grew by almost 100,000 and councils say funding has failed to keep up.
It found that one in six parents had been thinking about primary places before their child's first birthday and more than one in five had moved house to be closer to a school. Councils are calling for more powers over the opening of new schools as the pressures are set to grow in coming years.
Netmums co-founder Siobhan Freegard said: "Competition for what parents perceive to be the best schools is now so tough they will do almost anything to gain their child a place. The Department for Education published information showing how councils had "firm plans" for an extra 300,000 places - with a further 57,000 needed to meet the expected demand in the autumn of next year.
"Some ways, like moving house to be close to the school, can cost tens of thousands of pounds." It also said that the numbers in primary school rose from 3.9 million in 2012 to more than 4.01 million in 2013.
The rising population has put particular pressure on primary places in some areas - with the shortage being tackled by a mixture of additional temporary classes, rebuilding projects and new schools. And it revealed huge increases in some areas, such as Croydon, south London, where pupil numbers are expected to rise 44% between the summer of 2010 and autumn next year. In Barking & Dagenham there is an increase of 43%.
The Department for Education published "scorecards" this week showing how local authorities were meeting this rising demand. But the figures also show how this population surge is not reflected across the whole country, with more than 430,000 vacant places last year.
By summer 2013, it shows councils had "firm plans" for an extra 300,000 places - with a further 57,000 needed to meet the expected demand in autumn 2015. 'Tackling underperformance'
It shows that the numbers in primary school rose from 3.9 million in 2012 to more than 4.01 million in 2013. Shadow education secretary Tristram Hunt said this month that the government was failing to create school places where they were most needed.
The figures show how steeply pupil numbers have risen in some areas - and how much more they are expected to increase.
In Croydon, pupil numbers are expected to have risen 44% between summer 2010 and autumn 2015. In Barking and Dagenham there is an increase of 43%.
There are also areas which still have to create many more places. By 2015-16, there is a need for an extra 2,280 places in Greenwich in south London and another 2,130 in Essex.
But the figures also show how this population surge is not reflected across the whole country - with more than 430,000 places empty in 2013.
Opening schools
A Department for Education spokesman said: "Making sure there are enough school places for the growing population is one of the department's top priorities. We know that creating those places is a big challenge, but the scorecards published today show we are on track."
Shadow education secretary Tristram Hunt said earlier this month that the government was failing to create school places where they were most needed.
Mr Hunt said the government had created a "crisis in school places" with more children in "temporary and unsuitable classrooms and children forced to travel further and further to get to school".Mr Hunt said the government had created a "crisis in school places" with more children in "temporary and unsuitable classrooms and children forced to travel further and further to get to school".
The Local Government Association wants councils to have power over building new schools to meet local demand - and it says that a survey shows such a change would have widespread public support. But the Department for Education said: "We are increasing the number of good school places by tackling underperformance and opening new free schools and academies. We have also more than doubled to £5bn the funding available to councils to create new school places, and are allowing good schools to expand without the restrictions and bureaucracy they faced in the past."
"By returning the power to create schools to councils, government could ensure school places for children of all ages can be delivered according to local demand, and in line with the local needs of parents and young people," said Apu Bagchi, deputy chair of the LGA's children and young people board. The Local Government Association wants councils to have power over building new schools to meet local demand, and it says that a survey shows such a change would have widespread public support.
Natalie Evans, Director of New Schools Network which supports the opening of free schools, said: "The hundreds of thousands of parents waiting anxiously to find out which primary school they have been allocated demonstrates the depth of concern about the availability of places, let alone good school places. Natalie Evans, director of New Schools Network - which supports the opening of free schools - said they were playing a vital role in helping address both quality and quantity in primary places
"Free schools are playing a vital role in helping address both quality and quantity in primary school places. Ninety per cent of new primary free schools opening this September are in areas where new school places are needed." Have you been allocated a place for your child in your preferred primary school? If not, how will it affect you?
If you would be happy to speak to the BBC please email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk using the subject 'Primary Schools'.