Industry News
London's best state schools 'oversubscribed'
Posted on 30th January 2008
Families in London who choose not to send their children to a private school are reportedly finding that their chance of securing a place in the capital's best state primaries is limited.
Statistics compiled by the Evening Standard show that London's most popular primary school, Newton Farm in Harrow, has 9.4 applications for each available place.
The other top 25 most popular non-denominational primaries have between 4.78 and eight children competing for each available place, while good faith schools were found to receive between 3.58 and six applications per place.
All but nine of the 50 schools listed admit 30 or fewer pupils into the reception year and the newspaper suggested the popularity with parents of small schools is adding to the problem.
The news comes after it emerged that an increasing number of oversubscribed state schools across the country are using lotteries to decide on the allocation of places, meaning even children from families who go to the expense of buying a home close to a good school are not guaranteed a place at it.