Department for Education figures reveal rise in number of Portsmouth children gaining first choice school places

Department for Education figures showed that 90.8 per cent of secondary school pupils gained a place at their first-choice school to start in September – more than three per cent up from last year’s 87.7 per cent.

This was comfortably higher than the national rate which increased from 80.9 per cent to 82.2 per cent.

The proportion of families in Portsmouth securing their first-choice primary place also increased to 87.5 per cent compared to 86.6 per cent for last September. While the proportion of Year R children nationally gaining their first-choice school fell from 90.6 per cent to 90.2 per cent, this is still 2.7 per cent higher than the city’s rate.

Portsmouth City Council’s cabinet member for education, Cllr Suzy Horton, is pleased with the upward trend and the ‘vast majority’ of parents getting their preferential place.

Cllr Horton said: ‘We are really pleased to see an increase in the proportion of children across the city getting their first-choice school and this is credit to parents for getting their applications in quickly and the administrations team for processing it so efficiently.’

‘It’s always the best situation when parents and children get their first-choice as getting things off to a good start is important in building positive relationships with schools.’

The situation is in contrast to the fall in number of children in Hampshire who were able secure a first-choice primary and secondary school places.

DfE figures showed 91.1 per cent of children starting primary school in Hampshire this September received an offer from their first-choice school – down from 92.2 per cent last year. This means 1,320 families missed out on their top pick as the number of applications to primary schools rose by two per cent. However the county council said the vast majority of parents who did not get their first-choice did get their second or third (97.77 per cent).

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Commenting at the time, executive member for education, Cllr Roz Chadd, said: ‘This is very good news and reflects how school place planning is essential in ensuring that there is a school place for every child in Hampshire.’

The proportion of the county’s secondary pupils securing their first option also fell slightly from 92.4 per cent last year to 92.3 per cent for this September. However the the first choice admissions rate for both primary and secondary pupils remains above the national averages of 90.6 and 82.2 per cent respectively.

Cllr Chadd added: ‘It’s great to hear that yet again we’ve been able to offer a very high number of pupils a place at one of their three preferred secondary school choices. This is no small achievement when you consider the size of the Hampshire local authority area and the rising demand for school places.’

Headteacher at The Cowplain School, Ian Gates, said: ‘There are a lot of really good schools in Hampshire and if a parent fails to get a place in their first-choice school then I’m sure the majority of their other options can also provide a good education.’

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