Wednesday 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 extra pressure on secondary admissions this year as the
pupil population bulge that has been moving through primary
schools is currently hitting secondary schools. Many schools are
particularly over-subscribed, especially in certain areas of the
country.
“The government urgently needs to do more to address the
recruitment and retention crisis schools are facing so that there
are enough suitably qualified, specialist teachers to cope with
the growing numbers of pupils moving through the system.
“It has failed to hit its recruitment targets for secondary
school staff in eight out of the last nine years and if that
doesn’t change it will inevitably be harder for schools to offer
children the education they deserve.
“Additionally, there remains a problem 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 still lack the powers and resources
necessary for them to do so.
“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.”
