Relief for many as their children secure first choice primary place

IT is an anxious time for parents – and grandparents for that matter – as families are informed whether they have secured a place for their child at their favoured primary school.

Hundreds of thousands of families across England are finding out what primary school their children will be joining this autumn, on what is commonly known as National Offer Day.

The right start for children in the best school environment is critical as they start out on the long road of learning ahead, and parents with strong preferences about a local school will have been keeping their fingers crossed over recent weeks that they have got their first choice.

That choice may have been influenced by Ofsted reports, the opinions of other local parents and by their own first hand experiences on school visits. Crucially in this largely rural peninsula, the location will also be a factor for many, given long driving distances that can be required.

A top rated school with a friendly and supportive ethos close to home is the ideal. But given demand in some areas for those schools with attractive standards of behaviour and academic achievement, gaining that number one option is not always possible.

As a Local Government Association spokesperson said: “Choosing the right school for your child is one of the most important things a parent will do and this time of year can be extremely stressful. Everyone wants their child in a school where they can be happy, safe and reach their full potential.”

So it is heartening to report today that the vast majority of families in Devon secured their first choice primary school preference for this September.

An impressive 97 per cent of families who applied to Devon County Council for a place in a county primary have been given their first preference. And more than 99 per cent of the 7,242 applications in the county won a place in one of their first, second or third choice primary schools.

Devon County Council’s Cabinet member for schools, Andrew Leadbetter, said the council had been working hard to expand the number of places available, adding that it was “therefore very gratifying that we have been able to accommodate the vast majority of children in their preferred school”.

It is certainly a complicated process, and those staff involved should be commended for their efforts in managing such a high number of applications and finalising the allocation of places ahead of the national deadline.

In Plymouth nearly 99% of city children were allocated one of their three preferences this year.

And nationally a higher proportion of children are gaining places at their first choice of school, a survey of local authorities by the Press Association suggests.

But whatever the school selected, the support of family is just as important during these formative years in education. Parents may be relieved that they do not have to engage in the home schooling which characterised pandemic lockdowns, but they still have a role to play in helping their children make the most of their education.