NAHT comments on National Offer Day for secondary schools

Tuesday 1 March is National Offer Day for families finding out if they have got their first choice of secondary school.

Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders’ union NAHT, said: “This can be an anxious time for families. Choosing the right school and securing a place there is a huge moment in a child’s life and not everyone will get their first choice today. There is a population bulge that is currently hitting secondary schools, which means places are even more under pressure, especially in certain areas of the country.

“The problem is that in an increasingly fragmented school system we lack a co-ordinated approach to place planning. Local authorities are responsible for ensuring sufficient school places, but the powers and resources necessary for them to do so have been removed. Instead, planning is haphazard; decisions are being made in isolation and new schools and new school places are not always being commissioned in the areas they are most needed.

“Until the government creates a national strategy to guarantee there are enough school places for every child in England, the annual anxious wait for families will continue.”