This year over 84 per cent of Lambeth parents and carers who applied to a secondary school in the borough have been offered a place at their first, second or third choice school, starting this September. This is an increase from last year.
The percentage of Lambeth children who were offered one of their preferences (1-6) also increased this year, to over 92 per cent. The overall figures do not include pupils with an Education, Health and Care Plan, as they apply through a separate process.
On the day that parents and carers across London are told which secondary school their children have been offered places at, Lambeth Council has revealed that offers were made to 2,610 applicants this year, 1,564 of whom were offered their first preference.
Word from the Cabinet
Cllr Jennifer Brathwaite, Deputy Leader of the Council (Children and Young People), said: “The days when a child’s future depended on an offer that might or might not arrive in the post are behind us, because the hard work of our schools and education services has taken that uncertainty out of the system.
“This used to be a difficult time for families and children, wondering exactly where they’d be starting school in September. But, at a time of such pressure on schools, it is a marvellous achievement that we have been able to offer a place to every child who wants to come to a secondary school in Lambeth.”
The co-ordinated school admissions process enables Lambeth parents and carers to choose schools in this borough, and in other boroughs.
With so many good local schools to choose from, and the opening of Harris Academy Clapham this year, it is inevitable that unfortunately not all children will be able to be offered their first preference. Nevertheless, Lambeth continues to have enough year 7 places overall for residents to choose from and for those wishing to remain in our two all-through schools.
The picture across London
Across London as a whole, 94 per cent of children have been offered a place at one of their preferred schools – equivalent to 87,548 children. Figures released today by the Pan London Admissions Board, the body with overall responsibility for the co-ordination of school admissions in the capital, show that 68 per cent of children applying to London schools got into their first preference school, 2 per cent more than last year.
Some 88 per cent per cent of London pupils were offered a place at one of their top three choices of secondary school, a 2 per cent increase from last year.
