Good news for school starters

NO PORTISHEAD youngsters starting school in September will be forced to travel outside the town to receive an education this year.

North Somerset Council has confirmed that all children seeking a school reception place in Portishead have been allocated one, which has come as a huge relief to parents who are aware that in previous years four-year-olds have had to be transported out of the area.

Due to the demand for places for September 2013 it was agreed to breach the admission number at St Peter’s Primary School by an additional 30 places to avoid a shortfall.

It is good news for other areas of North Somerset too. Nailsea had sufficient reception places available for all those wanting a place and in Clevedon, Backwell and Long Ashton an agreement to breach admission numbers in some schools resulted in all pupils being given a place at a school in the town in which they live if they requested one.

Parents have now been notified of the allocation of school places for September. A total of 2,353 on-time applications were received for the 2,505 places available at North Somerset schools.

Of all applications, 88.31 per cent were allocated their first preference school and 97.28 per cent were allocated a place at one of their preferences.

Only 2.72 per cent were not offered any of their preferences, but these were allocated a place at the nearest available school that could accommodate them.