Majority of north Northants children given their first preference for secondary school - but 200 pupils miss out on top three

One Corby mum was left bitterly disappointed
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Most north Northamptonshire students who found out today (Tuesday) where they'll be going to secondary school will have been given one of their top three choices.

But more than 200 pupils, due to start Year 7 in September, will not have been allocated a preferred school - part of the 4.8 per cent of unlucky children.

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A total of 4,186 secondary school places have been allocated to pupils across north Northamptonshire today with 81.7 per cent of applicants – 3,418 children – being allocated a place at their first preference.

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Corby mum-of-three Lauren Grey was bitterly disappointed to discover that her daughter Sophie had not been given any of her top three choices.

Instead of being given Brooke Weston Academy, a five minute walk from her home, she's been allocated Lodge Park Academy, an hour's walk away.

Ms Grey said: "I don’t drive and we are a low income family. Lodge Park do not offer a school bus service meaning my daughter would have to use public transport, which is highly unreliable since Covid and it would be nearly an hour's travel time on two different buses getting to school.

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"We were so upset to find out her school place this morning as she was offered Lodge Park, a school we didn’t put as any of her three choices and at the completely other end of town to where we live.

"Why they don’t allocate schools to children in the catchment area anymore?

"We had put Brooke Weston as a first choice which is a five-minute walk from our house and so I was shocked to see she hadn’t got a place there. But on Facebook a lady from Kettering was trying to get a council house swap to Corby as her daughter was offered a place in Brooke Weston."

This is the first year that places have been allocated specifically within North Northants, following on from the local government reorganisation last year.

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• 13.5 per cent of applicants have been allocated a place at either their second or third preference (15 per cent in NCC in 2021).

• 95.2 per cent of applicants have been allocated one of their preferred schools – similar to the number of children getting a place at a preference school (95.7 per cent in 2021).

• 98.8 per cent of applications were made online (the same as in 2021).

Cllr Scott Edwards, North Northamptonshire Council’s executive member for children, families, education and skills, said: “I’m delighted that there has been an increase in the number of children being allocated their preferred school.

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“Supporting children in their education is a priority for the council and the step up to secondary school is a big step on this journey.

“Meanwhile, we continue to work hard to create additional school places across North Northamptonshire to meet the demand caused by our growing population, through building new schools and expanding existing sites across the area.”

Cllr Jason Smithers, leader of the council, said: “I’m delighted that the there has been an increase in the number of first preference allocations and I wish all the children well as they embark on this next stage of their education.”

Any parent has the right to appeal, through the independent appeals process, against refusal of a place at any school for which they have applied.

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Ms Grey added: "I know this has happened to a lot of parents and their children all not getting any of their choices.

"I find this crazy. Why do admissions and schools think it is okay for a child to travel so far with no school bus service when there is a school right on their doorstep?

"I feel so sad for all the children that were let down this morning and now the stresses so many parents have to face on appeals that will most likely be declined, costs of travel and the worry of their children travelling to the other side of town to get to school.

"Something needs to change. It’s like admissions just pick out of a hat now and people's preferences are not even considered or well thought about before allocating the place."

The next round of secondary school place allocations (for late applicants) will take place in April.

Primary school allocations will be announced on April 19.

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