More than 1,000 children across the Isle of Wight have been offered places at secondary schools this week.
Wednesday was National Offer Day when children up and down the country learnt which secondary school they would attend for the 2023/24 academic year.
On the Island, nearly 94% of parents have been offered a place for their child at 1 of their preferred schools. This compares to 95% in 2022.
In total, the Isle of Wight Council received 1,287 applications on time. Of those, 1,035 (80%) received their 1st choice for September 2023, 140 (11%) their 2nd choice and 33 (3%) their 3rd choice. This compares to 83%, 10% and 2% respectively, in 2022.
Every on-time applicant was offered a place at a school. There are some families who applied late and are not included in the figures.
Councillor Debbie Andre, Cabinet member for children’s services, education and skills, said:
“I’m really pleased to see that the vast majority of applicants gained a place at one of their preferred schools, with most getting their first choice and all students being offered a place.
“We do all we can to make the application process as straightforward as possible in partnership with our Island schools, while meeting families’ choices in the vast majority of cases.
Article continues below this advertisement “I appreciate how difficult the transition can be from primary to secondary and how important pupil choice is in both maintaining existing friendships and local, community connections.”
Parents who have applied for a primary school place for their child will be notified on 17th April 2023.
School what a joke let’s all strike sod the kids think about my big fat pay cheque
Picking the best out of a bad bunch…
One in five not getting their first choice isn’t exactly great.
Though it’s a pity that people find feel the choice is necessary in the first place.
So many joey children’s parents insist on them going to normal schools which cost a fortune to have this type in a class. Either squiffy so need one to one help, or disabled meaning costly structural changes to stairs, doors, paths etc.
House them all in one special school, as they only need the basic education, OR get their charity funded parents to pay for education at home, if they think they are worth spending on, then they will.
The ability for parents of joey children choosing normal schools to try to educate them should be banned now.
It is so very costly for schools to cater for having ‘one’ in a class, and one to one helpers have to be employed, and often mega expensive structural alterations done to each school for those with physical disabilities.
They should all go to one place catered for such, thus saving money and not holding back normal children’s learning
If the parents of such wish to send them they should give up all their overly generous payment to fund such help themselves.
We are struggling now, so fund those who are a benefit not a drain forever.