Overview
- Following Thursday’s National Offer Day on April 16, early returns compiled by the Press Association showed an average 91.2% of families received their first-choice primary school.
- London Councils reported 80,658 applications, down 3.5% year on year, and an 88.4% first-choice rate, citing lower birth rates and families moving out of the capital.
- Regional variation remains pronounced, with councils such as Cumberland at 99.6% and North Yorkshire at 96% for first-choice offers, and many areas reporting 97–99% receiving a top‑three preference.
- Councils advise parents to accept the offered place to secure it, then use waiting lists and appeals where available, with local deadlines running from late April into June.
- Late applications and second‑round allocations continue in May and June, with full national statistics due from the Department for Education in June and London projecting fewer reception classes that could pressure school budgets.