The number of families receiving their first choice of primary school has fallen in many parts of England, as a baby boom puts a squeeze on classroom places.
Parents and carers across England are receiving the results of their applications for places in state primary school reception classes for four- and five-year-olds on Thursday.
Birmingham, the largest local authority in England, appears to be among the worst-affected regions, with fewer than 85% of families receiving their first preference of primary school, a three-point drop compared with last year.
More than 5% of the 16,000 applicants in Birmingham were offered places in schools outside the city boundaries, compared with 4% of a slightly smaller pool of applicants last year.
Hertfordshire, one of the fastest-growing local authorities, said it received an extra 700 applications this year and was able to offer first preferences to only four in five of the total of more than 15,000.
Manchester reported that it had received more than 7,000 applications for reception class places in September, a rise of 250 from 2014 and 2,000 more than in 2008.
John Edwards, Manchester city council’s director of education and skills, said: “We have been able to offer the first preferences to the vast majority of parents despite the fact that the number of applications we have received has grown significantly over the last few years as our city’s population continues to expand.”
The UK’s birth rate has been rising in recent years, with more than 700,000 live births in 2011 compared with 500,000 10 years before.
A poll published by Mumsnet found that 51% of readers applying for a school place for their first child were confident of getting their first preference. In London the figure was 47%.
In East Sussex fewer than 85% of families received their first choice on Thursday, compared with nearly 88% in 2014, while in Cornwall the figure fell from 94% to 91%.
Torbay council in the south-west reported a five-point drop in the proportion of families receiving their top choice, from 91% to 86%. Kirklees council in West Yorkshire had a one-point drop, to 90%, and Oldham in Lancashire had a 1.5-point drop, also to 90%.
Other local authorities reported marginally improved results compared with last year, including Durham, where 93% received their first choice, an increase of one percentage point, and Bristol, which was up two points to 84%.
Kent, another of the largest local authorities, improved from 85% last year to 86%, which Patrick Leeson, of the county council, attributed to efforts to create hundreds of new places to meet demand.
“We will not lose sight of the fact that 4% of pupils have not been given a school from their preferences,” Leeson said. “While many will secure places through waiting lists and reallocation, I am aware that this will be a difficult time and we will do what we can to offer a good outcome.
“Local authorities across England face significant challenges because of a lack of primary school places. In Kent, however, the combination of good forecasting, careful planning, and close working with schools means we are able to sustain a high proportion of children starting at a school of their preference.”
The national offer day results sparked a political slanging match on the campaign trail, with Labour saying the government had hampered local authorities from providing places. The Conservatives blamed Labour for its failure to maintain the number of primary school places during its term in office.
