Majority of pupils across Hampshire secure place at their preferred primary school

THE majority of children across the region have been offered a place at one of their preferred primary schools.

Portsmouth City Council received 2,436 applications from families for primary places – with 2,074 of them being granted their first choice – 85 per cent.

Another 196 – 8.05 per cent – got their second choice and 49 – 2.01 per cent – were given their third preference.

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Seventeen applicants got schools that weren’t in their top three and 49 – 2.01 per cent – didn’t get a place at all.

Another 164 applicants have yet to be offered a place as their forms were submitted late.

Meanwhile, an overwhelming majority of parents have been offered a school place at one of their preferred schools by the county council.

In total, 97.3 per cent of parents applying for a primary school place, in reception year, have been offered a place for their child at one of their three preferred schools, with just under 90 per cent obtaining a place at their first choice school.

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​For those transferring from infant to junior schools (Year 3), 98.8 per cent got one of their preferred schools, with 97 per cent obtaining a place at their first preferred school.

Figures for 2016 are similar to last year, despite the predicted rising demand for places.

The county’s admissions service has processed over 15,600 on-time applications for primary school places, with over 260 more applications received for places in September 2016, compared to last year.

Pupils who did not secure a place at one of their chosen schools will be allocated a place at a school near to where they live, with available spaces. In the small number of cases where parents may not have secured a place for their child at a school of their choice, those parents have the right to appeal and can ask for their child’s name to be added to their preferred school’s waiting list.

Places can become available if parents change their mind and decide not to accept the offer of a place, or families move home.