Every Croydon child who applied for their first school will get a place in the borough despite rising demand.
Croydon Council has told 4,938 parents which primary school their child has got into from this September, with 94% getting one of their top three preferences and 82% – or 4,049 pupils – offered their first preference.
The percentage of children getting either their first preference or one of their top three preferences is the same as last year, even though the council received 122 more applications this year; enough for four extra 30-pupil classes.
The council is investing heavily in expanding and building schools to ensure every child has a place, with 2,000 new places overall by 2018 including three new primary schools from September.
Paul Greenhalgh, the council’s executive director for people, said: “We plan all year round to provide enough school places for children in the borough, and today we’ve been able to offer 94% of parents one of their top three preferences and 82% their preferred primary school.
“As with secondary offers, all of this year’s primary applications were made online. I’d like to thank parents and carers for doing this; it also means they find out sooner which school their child has been offered.”
Parents of children starting secondary school from September who applied before the 2014 deadline received their offer in March.
