More than 10,000 London children did not receive an offer from their first choice primary school despite a drop in applications caused by families fleeing the capital and the lower birthrate, new figures have revealed.
Overall, 87.9% of pupils in the city got offered a place at their first-choice school, equivalent to 73,481 children, data revealed on Wednesday.
In total 96.6% of children in London got a place at one of their three highest preference schools, equivalent to 80,706 pupils.
Hammersmith and Fulham had the lowest number of students receiving an offer from their first choice at 73.62%, while Barking and Dagenham had the highest at 96.25%.
There was a 2.1% decrease in applications compared to last year, prompting warnings about the capital’s tumbling birthrate and families being forced out of the city due to skyrocketing housing costs.
Analysis by London Councils estimates a decrease of 3.6% in reception pupil numbers in London over the next four years.
This is roughly equivalent to a drop of 117 reception classes.
Schools across inner London have faced closure and mergers in recent years. Hackney Council is expected to finalise plans to close or merge six more primary schools next Tuesday, despite four already shutting their doors permanently last summer.
The 150-year-old St Cuthbert with St Matthias Church of England Primary School in Kensington and Chelsea is consulting on its closure amid dwindling birthrates.
Lambeth, Islington and Tower Hamlets councils have also all closed or merged primary institutions in the last year.
Ian Edwards, London Councils’ Executive Member for Children and Young People, said: “Boroughs know that primary offer day brings very important news to young Londoners and their families. It is great to see the vast majority of children in the capital receive offers from one of their preferred primary schools.
“Overall decreases in pupil numbers can pose a challenge to schools’ resources. However, boroughs will continue working closely with schools to meet local needs and help families make the most of the high-quality educational opportunities available in the capital.”
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Jon Abbey, Chair of the Pan-London Admissions Board, said: “The Pan-London Admissions Scheme means school places in the capital are distributed in an open and fair way, taking into account the number of places available and eligibility criteria at each school. Where parents and pupils have not been offered their first preference it is because, in some schools, demand outstrips supply.
“Overall, analysis suggests that falling birth rates and family migration from London have led to a continued decrease in demand for school places and resulted in a reduction in total applications this year.
“We advise parents to read the details of their child’s offer carefully and consider their options fully before making a decision. Please be aware that each London borough has an admissions team and staff who are very happy to assist if parents have any queries.”