Lessons to learn on school places

AROUND a fifth of children in Oldham will not start their first-choice secondary school in September.

Parents found out this week which secondary school their child has been allocated a place, with 79 per cent getting their first choice - down on last year when 81 per cent got their preferred option.

Seven per cent - 211 children - will not attend any of their top six choices.

Oldham Council leader Jean Stretton said: “The number of parents applying for certain local secondary schools as their first choice exceeds the number of pupils they can take every year.

“In our borough, like everywhere else, we’ve seen a significant increase in the numbers of school-age children needing places in recent years. We take our responsibility to ensure that each child gets a school place very seriously, but it is no easy task.”

Councillor Stretton said the council now has a better forecasting method and an extension programme will provide extra capacity in the system in the future.