Pupils put in their place on school offer day

Almost all pupils transferring to secondary and upper schools across Central Bedfordshire in September have been granted their first choice.
Education newsEducation news
Education news

National Secondary Offer Day was the moment when parents and pupils across the country found out what the future held for them.

On Tuesday, it was good news here with 98.6 per cent of the 1,936 Central Bedfordshire pupils who applied to transfer to upper schools for the 2016/17 academic year granted their first preference.

And 87 per cent of the 717 Central Beds pupils applying for secondary school were offered their first preference school – which includes applications for secondary schools in neighbouring areas such as Luton, Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire.

Only two Central Beds pupils were not offered their first preference Central Beds secondary school.

Of all the applications, 92 per cent came via the council’s online system which allowed parents to find out on the day the outcome, rather than waiting for decision letters to arrive by second class post.

Councillor Mark Versallion, Executive Member for Children’s Services, said: “This is great news and a testament to our School Admissions Team who work very hard to make sure that as many applicants as possible get their first choice.

“With recent national headlines focussing on concerns about a lack of school places for secondary pupils, I am very pleased to say that this is not the case here.

“Being able to attend a good school on your doorstep is very important for children and their families, and it’s great that we are able to offer this in Central Bedfordshire.”

Anyone wishing to decline or change their offered place can do so by submitting a change of preference form. The deadline for this is Tuesday, March 15 with new offers going out on Tuesday, April 26.

Children starting school and transferring to middle school will find out whether they have received their first choice on April 18, National Primary Offer Day.