Secondary school places announced

12.17.06pm GMT Thu 6th Mar 2008

• OVER 1,400 children in the borough will receive their offers of secondary school places from Richmond Council on Tuesday 4 March and almost two-thirds - 64 % - will be given their parents' first preference, despite the high demand for places.

Three schools received over 750 applications each for the 200 to 225 places they provide, while another had over 500. In London, parents express preferences for secondary schools both inside and beyond their home borough, making them far more likely to be oversubscribed than in other parts of England. Those who have not been offered a first preference are advised that places will become available in the months ahead as some parents turn down the ones that have been offered to them.

Cllr Malcolm Eady, Cabinet Member for Children's Services and Education on Richmond Council, said: "It is good news that so many children in the borough will be attending their parents' preferred schools. We would like to give even more parents their first preference but admissions procedures in the capital are very challenging. Many will apply for places at selective and other popular schools outside the borough while three of our own schools are heavily oversubscribed. The Council's admissions staff work extremely hard to place as many children as possible in their favoured school. We are committed to improving standards in secondary education across the borough. For example, we are investing heavily in the rebuild of Teddington School and negotiations are continuing to transform three other schools through the Academies programme."